posted 11-07-2003 10:32 AM            

"--Fox's voice was nearly drowned out by several dozen protestors on the sidewalk. Local cable access television host Alex Jones, armed with a bullhorn, screamed, "Illegal immigration is destroying our sovereignty.--"

GO ALEX!!!!!!

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Fox begins Austin visit
Mexican ID cards are expected to be high on the agenda

By Susan Ferriss and Dave Harmon

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

Mexican President Vicente Fox embarked Thursday on a day of meetings with Gov. Rick Perry and Texas business leaders, the final stop of his three-leg tour of border states to discuss immigration and trade.

After visiting a state that recognizes Mexican-issued IDs for banking and other business in the United States, Fox arrived in Austin on Wednesday evening to push for similar recognition in Texas.

Fox spent Wednesday in New Mexico, one of the first states to recognize matricula consulars, identification cards issued to Mexicans living and working in the United States.

On Thursday, Fox met with business executives over breakfast then performed a ribbon-cutting to formally open the new Consulate of Mexico offices in Austin. Well-wishers crowded around the building and applauded when Fox and his wife arrived. Some managed to shake hands with Fox and get photographs or his autograph.

Perry and Fox emerged from the Governor's Mansion before a dinner Wednesday night and said they planned to discuss issues ranging from education to trade to the conflict over water sharing.

"Tonight is about renewing old friendships," Perry said.

"I am sure that it is going to be a great day tomorrow," Fox said. "We have a lot of common things to do to build toward the future."

Fox's voice was nearly drowned out by several dozen protestors on the sidewalk. Local cable access television host Alex Jones, armed with a bullhorn, screamed, "Illegal immigration is destroying our sovereignty."

Fox ignored him.

High on Fox's agenda is renewing U.S.-Mexican talks on easing the way for Mexicans to enter and work in the United States.

"Today, more than ever, it is urgent to have political will to improve the quality of life of thousands of men and women, of entire families, who have chosen to live in this great country — this state — to which they contribute important benefits," Fox said in a speech to the New Mexican Legislature.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said that, since June, almost 7,000 driver's licenses have been issued to Mexicans who used the ID cards as identification to apply for licenses.

Fox said that New Mexico should be seen as a model for the use of the cards.

"There is no threat doing this. There is no problem that has been generated. We talked this morning about the large number of licenses that have been issued — without any consequence for security," he said.

At an afternoon event in Santa Fe with Mexican immigrants, 61-year-old Ernesto Franco said he, his wife and one child have permanent residency in the United States, but five sons are still undocumented.

This summer, all five of them obtained driver's licenses using the matricula consular card.

"People who come to work want to work with decency, and they need a car to get to work. With a license, now they can get insurance for their cars, which the law requires," Franco said.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry has said Mexico's birth registry system isn't reliable, which means U.S. officials can't be sure of the cards' accuracy.

"The bottom line is, until Mexico can guarantee me who the individuals who have the matricula are, then we are at somewhat of a stalemate," Perry has said.

Fox and President Bush were in the opening stages of talks that were expected to lead to changes in immigration law when terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Talks immediately stalled and border crossings were tightened. Negotiations were further stalled over the U.S. war in Iraq, but both presidents have since signaled a willingness to resume discussions.

In New Mexico, Fox said easier and safer border crossing for Mexicans isn't enough.

"The Mexican government, for its part, has worked with determination to develop important investment and job-generation projects in the regions with high rates of emigration in order to meet people's most pressing needs, so that they are not compelled to leave their places of origin in search of a better future," he said.

He said Mexico and the United States, with emphasis on the Southwest, need to develop a regional strategy for competition from Asia.

While he was largely greeted warmly at stops in New Mexico, Fox was forced to address demonstrators at a public event in the Santa Fe Plaza protesting the murders and disappearances of hundreds of young women in Ciudad Juarez over the past 10 years.

"I would like to address with respect the group of women who came here with a great cause," Fox said. "We do not want any other murders in Juarez."

Fox invited two mothers of murdered women to talk to him after the event and the crowd calmed.

At the same event, Fox said he and Richardson talked about an initiative to allow undocumented children who have lived in New Mexico for years to attend college and pay the same fees as other state residents.

In Austin, guests invited to the Governor's Mansion included Tony Garza, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Juan Jose Bremer, Mexican ambassador to the United States; Austin Mayor Will Wynn; Austin philanthropists Joe and Teresa Long; and Jim Schneider, Dell Inc.'s chief financial officer.

Fox will meet on Thursday with a who's-who of Texas business leaders, including Charles Butt, of H-E-B, Peter Holt, owner of the San Antonio Spurs; Sung Lee, president of Samsung Austin; and Bo Pilgrim, head of Pilgrim's Pride.

Unlike his visits to Arizona and New Mexico, Fox is likely to face a pointed issue in talks with Perry.

For years, Texas has pushed for Mexico to honor a U.S.-Mexican treaty on water sharing. Under the treaty, Mexico owes Texas more than 1 million acre feet of water, but officials have said they don't have the water.

Earlier this year, Perry suggested cutting the flow of water that moves through the United State into Mexico until Mexico complies with the 1944 treaty.

In addition to his meetings with Perry and business leaders, Fox will speak to an invited audience at the University of Texas and is expected to mingle with a small group of UT students and faculty

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