The $66 million fortress of a consulate is surrounded by a moat of heavily armed men, who guard it against an almost unimaginably brutal civil war raging just outside the golden zone. Ciudad Juárez, population 1.3 million, is sometimes called the “murder capital of the Americas”—a fitting description for a city that has seen roughly 7,000 killings in less than three years, including more than 3,100 last year.
Located just across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas, Juárez is ground zero in a bloody clash between the Mexican government and the drug cartels that feed Americans’ craving for cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. The “narco-war” includes turf battles between rival cartels. Since late 2006, when President Felipe Calderón launched a military offensive against the cartels, officials put the national death toll at more than 30,000.
Seem like the US should move the facility to the United States. That would help our economy and allow for better protection of area residents, not to mention consulate workers while giving the US citizen families more peace of mind.
Immigration foes are working to tear the United States apart. Some argue "states rights" and endorse succession from the United States. (That seems extremist in my book.) In doing so they are fueling problems not only in the United States but in other countries as well. It's unfortunate (to say the least) that so many people believe the false information that these groups spread.
Our lives are hectic today. Many people are busy trying to raise families and make ends meet. As a result they don't have the time or energy to think about issues they don't believe directly affect them. But immigration impacts all of us. Thinking people including religious leader, teachers and lawmakers need to look at this issue and THINK.
The conversation needs a new direction.
For starters, the Visa processing center needs to be moved from Juarez to the United States, if not for everyone, definitely for those who are family of United States citizens.
In 2009, more than 94,000 Mexicans came to Juárez to apply for permanent resident status. Many, like Monica’s husband Alvaro, were undocumented and living gainfully in the United States. In past decades, applying would have been no big deal for such people. Thanks partly to a 1965 Great Society law that emphasized the need to keep families intact, applicants already living in the United States could petition for a change of status without having to leave.Isn't it better to keep those dollars in the United States? Isn't it better for the safety and peace of mind of Consulate workers? Isn't it better for the citizen family members of applicants?
