We change places but not flags
I carry green, white and red in my veins
Like the eagle we fly without borders
We break the fence that separates lands
–The Migrant Hymn
Those are some of the words in a song the new president of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum invited a vocal group to perform at a press conference this week. The message is clear: migrants from Mexico in the US wish to remain Mexican and vow to “break the fence” of any country, such as the United States, that tries to keep them out. Sheinbaum applauded the song and called the migrants “heroes.”
Mexico has long used the United States as a safety valve through which to unload its lowest and/or more criminal classes. Some come here to find economic opportunities not available in Mexico, some come to escape cartel violence, and some come to commit cartel violence. In any case, Mexico’s government benefits by ridding itself of persons it would rather not support or protect or police. By dodging those responsibilities, it reaps a bonanza in remittances — $63 billion last year. No wonder madam president loves the Mexican migrants in America. They’re far away and out of her hair, and they send back money. What’s not to love?
For more, see the Associated Press.