- MEXICO CITY (Reuters)
- California's next governor Arnold Schwarzenegger delivered one of his
most famous acting lines in Spanish but many in Mexico fear he will now
make life tough for Hispanic illegal immigrants.
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- Schwarzenegger, set to name a transition team on Wednesday
after winning a chaotic recall election, has previously called for tighter
controls on the U.S.-Mexican border which thousands of Mexicans cross illegally
every week.
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- "If there were terrible actions against immigrants'
human rights before, like bad treatment during police checks, they are
going to get worse," said Alberto Aguilar, an opposition member of
the Mexican Congress' foreign relations committee.
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- Although an immigrant himself, Austrian-born Schwarzenegger
also opposes the granting of driving licenses to illegal aliens -- one
of the state's most bitterly debated issues.
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- The Republican movie star, who became a U.S. citizen
in the mid-1980s, says he is pro-immigration but only within the law.
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- The 2000 population census show Hispanics make up 32
percent of California's population and their numbers are growing fast.
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- "HASTA LA VISTA"
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- Latin American culture and the Spanish language is winning
greater acceptability in the United States. Schwarzenegger reflected this
when his character in the "Terminator" film series said, "Hasta
la vista (see you later), baby" to a doomed evildoer.
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- Although Latinos in the United States prize conservative
social values often espoused by Republicans, as an ethnic minority they
are wary of the political right wing.
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- "With the Bush administration in Washington and
Schwarzenegger in Sacramento, it's a very scary combination," said
Christian Ramirez, director of the U.S.-Mexico Border Program for the American
Friends Service Committee, or Quakers, in San Diego, California.
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- He said he was worried the new California governor could
snuff out use of "matricula consular" -- identification cards
issued to illegal immigrants by Mexican consulates.
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- The documents are widely used by immigrants in cities
throughout California and around the country to open bank accounts and
are recognized by some local police and health departments.
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- "He has already made comments that he will turn
back the legislation on the driver's license bill and we fear that the
Bush administration will pressure him to cooperate on the CLEAR Act,"
Ramirez said.
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- The CLEAR bill, currently in the House of Representatives,
would require local law enforcement officers to report illegal immigrants
to the federal government, undermining use of the matricula consular.
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- Mexican President Vicente Fox has failed in an attempt
to have Washington legalize the millions of undocumented Mexicans in the
United States. Washington lost interest in a major migration deal with
Fox after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. (Additional reporting by Deborah
Tedford and Alistair Bell)
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- Comment
From Ted Albright
10-8-3
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- Arnold would go down in American history as one of the
greatest leaders and patriots we've ever had by shutting down illegal immigration
and DEPORTING the millions here who have helped bleed California into financial
bankruptcy.
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- Comment
- From Name on file
- 10-10-3
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- We should never forget that the Spanish conquered South
America, Central America, and now they represent 13% of the United States
of America. They flood across the border only to reproduce in such staggering
numbers. They have no mercy on the American economy, lifestyle and politics.
While Genocide laws will protect them, by childbirth aone, they will conquer
North America. America's cities will become overpolulated and polluted
just like Mexico City. I am terrified of the invasion of Latino conquerors
because the law will protect them and alow them to attain their goal: total
domination of the Western Continents.
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