``It's absurd that (the United States) is spending as much as it's spending to stop immigration flows that can't be stopped ... instead of using that money on real threats that pose risks for both countries,'' Interior Secretary Santiago Creel said earlier this week.

Creel said he sensed ``an openness to talking about immigration issues'' but warned against ``raising expectations beyond what is politically viable and really possible,'' a reference to resistance among U.S. legislators, despite a pair of temporary worker bills already before Congress.

Mexico acknowledged it suffered a setback in the Nov. 2 elections, when Arizona voters approved Proposition 200, a ballot initiative aimed at keeping illegal immigrants from voting and obtaining some government services.

The Arizona initiative would ``foment racial discrimination and limit (migrants') access to basic services like health and education,'' Mexico's Foreign Relations Department said in a news statement.

While the Bush administration has had sometimes testy relations with the leaders of Venezuela, Argentina and other Latin nations, Mexico suffered perhaps the greatest disappointment of the first Bush administration, when the Sept. 11 terror attacks put Mexico's hopes of a comprehensive migration accord on the back burner.

Mexico has responded by adopting a more piecemeal approach to defending migrants. While the country once demanded ``the whole enchilada'' in migration reform, Fox said this week ``it's hard to say how quick, how complete, how integral the accord will be.''

Originally posted by DontTreadOnMe
Aren't Mexicans encouraged to come to this country, for (snip) health care (when many of our citizens do without??)