Mexico Stays on the Sidelines in US Immigration Reform Debate Richard Fausset - The Los Angeles Times
go to original January 30, 2013

Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto has let the U.S. know that Mexico is interested in assisting in immigration reform but would not take an active role, says a Mexico City consultant. (csmonitor.com)

MEXICO CITY — Here is what you probably won't see in the coming weeks as the U.S. Congress debates a sweeping immigration overhaul: Mexico becoming involved.

Though the United States' southern neighbor is the country with the most at stake as Washington considers changing its policy toward illegal immigrants, Mexican diplomats and government officials are expected to keep a low profile to avoid the appearance of meddling in U.S. affairs and to minimize any potential backlash among conservatives in the States.

Mexican President Enrique "Peña Nieto, and the foreign minister and our new ambassador have all more or less said the same thing about Mexico's role in this, and the message is, 'We're interested, and we'll help if you think we can, but we're not going to take an active role,'" said Andres Rozental, a Mexico City consultant and former deputy foreign minister.

Mexicans in recent years have learned to tiptoe around the issue of U.S. immigration policy, speaking out in favor of reform on occasion but generally lobbying and advising U.S. lawmakers with discretion, Rozental said, so as not "to provoke any of the recalcitrant elements" in Congress and the heartland who are opposed to granting legal status to undocumented immigrants.

Read the whole story at The Los Angeles Times

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