Topic: AT BUSY CROSSING, PEDESTRIANS NEED PASSPORTS TO ENTER MEXICO (Read 587 times)
Times change! Are they going to stop American teenagers from going to Mexico to buy the alcohol they're not allowed to get up North? I've crossed that particular border, and I remember one American patrol man asking me to open the trunk of my car when I left Mexico, but nobody asked me anything when I entered Mexico. Actually, it was me who had to go the Mexican office to get my passport stamped, since I'm not American, and not Mexican either.
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Walking into Mexico at the nation's busiest border crossing with the United States is no longer an uninterrupted stroll for foreigners.
Starting late Wednesday, pedestrians going to Tijuana from San Diego at the San Ysidro crossing must choose between a line for Mexicans who get waved through, and a line for foreigners who must show a passport, fill out a form and - if staying more than a week - pay 322 pesos, or roughly $20, for a six-month permit.
About a dozen foreigners stood in line Wednesday night, directed by English-speaking agents to six inspection booths where they got passports stamped. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
Travelers have long followed similar protocol at Mexican airports, but the new border procedure marks a big change at land crossings that weren't designed to question everyone. Pedestrians and motorists have generally entered Mexico unencumbered along the 1,954-mile border with the United States.
"This is about putting our house in order," said Rodulfo Figueroa, Mexico's top immigration official in Baja California state, which includes Tijuana.
The changes, which have been in the works for years, come as Donald Trump has surged to the top of the Republican field in the U.S. presidential race. He has insisted that Mexico sends criminals to the U.S. and pledges to build a border wall at Mexico's expense.
For Mexico, it is a step toward closing an escape route for American criminals who disappear in Mexico. Border inspectors will tap into international criminal databases. Motorists will see no change, and if lines get too long, officials will also wave pedestrians through.
More than 120 Americans expelled from Mexico this year while living in Baja California had arrest warrants in the U.S., according to Figueroa, delegate of the National Migration Institute. Some ordered to leave last year were on the FBI's most-wanted list.
But authorities say benefits extend beyond stopping unwanted visitors. A recent hurricane stranded twice as many Americans in Cabo San Lucas than U.S. authorities thought were there, Figueroa said, and registering as a foreigner would have made it easier to identify those who needed help.
Figueroa said Mexico can initially process about 1,000 foreigners daily, up from about 50 currently.
"If the line becomes clogged up, we will just let everybody through," Figueroa said. "If we can't check everybody, we won't."
Figueroa said San Ysidro is believed to be the first U.S. land crossing to have a separate line for foreigners to show passports and that it will serve as a model for others as they are upgraded. Aurora Vega, a spokeswoman for the National Migration Institute, referred questions to other departments. Officials at the Foreign Relations Department and Mexican Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
About 25,000 pedestrians (and 50,000 motorists) cross daily at San Ysidro to work, shop and play but it is unclear how many are foreigners in Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says about one-third entering San Diego are U.S. citizens, one-third are U.S. legal residents and the rest are from other countries, largely Mexico. An unknown number have dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. and Mexico.
Both countries have long wrestled with logistical hurdles of stopping people going to Mexico by land. The U.S. occasionally stops motorists and pedestrians as they leave - mainly to check for guns and cash - but it doesn't have a system to record exits like at airports, seen by many as a significant shortcoming in border security.
Previous efforts to question more foreigners entering Mexico met resistance in Tijuana, whose economy partly relies on Americans who visit restaurants, beaches, doctors and dentists. Lines to enter the United States at San Ysidro have exceeded four hours.
Roberto Arteaga, who has made tacos, shined shoes and sold tickets for private bus and van rides in Southern California during 28 years as a street vendor near the border crossing, says requiring passports and imposing a fee for longer stays sends the wrong message.
"We should be welcoming," he said during a lull in business Tuesday. "This will hurt Tijuana's economy."
Other crossers said the move was overdue.
"Anything to keep the country safer is much better for everyone," Cynthia Diaz of Oceanside, near San Diego, said as she stood in line to return to the U.S with her niece, who visited Tijuana for a root canal. "It's safer for us on the other side too."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MEXICO_CHECKS_FOREIGNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-20-09-23-54
What's your problem.
They have to protect their homeland.
Why, just last week some American tourists were caught throwing beer cans out of their car in Tijuana.
"Hay conio! Gringos throwing Rio Bravo beer cans at us is a racist statement" - Pablo, from Tijuana, Mexico.
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Walking into Mexico at the nation's busiest border crossing with the United States is no longer an uninterrupted stroll for foreigners.
Starting late Wednesday, pedestrians going to Tijuana from San Diego at the San Ysidro crossing must choose between a line for Mexicans who get waved through, and a line for foreigners who must show a passport, fill out a form and - if staying more than a week - pay 322 pesos, or roughly $20, for a six-month permit.
About a dozen foreigners stood in line Wednesday night, directed by English-speaking agents to six inspection booths where they got passports stamped. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
Travelers have long followed similar protocol at Mexican airports, but the new border procedure marks a big change at land crossings that weren't designed to question everyone. Pedestrians and motorists have generally entered Mexico unencumbered along the 1,954-mile border with the United States.
"This is about putting our house in order," said Rodulfo Figueroa, Mexico's top immigration official in Baja California state, which includes Tijuana.
The changes, which have been in the works for years, come as Donald Trump has surged to the top of the Republican field in the U.S. presidential race. He has insisted that Mexico sends criminals to the U.S. and pledges to build a border wall at Mexico's expense.
For Mexico, it is a step toward closing an escape route for American criminals who disappear in Mexico. Border inspectors will tap into international criminal databases. Motorists will see no change, and if lines get too long, officials will also wave pedestrians through.
More than 120 Americans expelled from Mexico this year while living in Baja California had arrest warrants in the U.S., according to Figueroa, delegate of the National Migration Institute. Some ordered to leave last year were on the FBI's most-wanted list.
But authorities say benefits extend beyond stopping unwanted visitors. A recent hurricane stranded twice as many Americans in Cabo San Lucas than U.S. authorities thought were there, Figueroa said, and registering as a foreigner would have made it easier to identify those who needed help.
Figueroa said Mexico can initially process about 1,000 foreigners daily, up from about 50 currently.
"If the line becomes clogged up, we will just let everybody through," Figueroa said. "If we can't check everybody, we won't."
Figueroa said San Ysidro is believed to be the first U.S. land crossing to have a separate line for foreigners to show passports and that it will serve as a model for others as they are upgraded. Aurora Vega, a spokeswoman for the National Migration Institute, referred questions to other departments. Officials at the Foreign Relations Department and Mexican Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
About 25,000 pedestrians (and 50,000 motorists) cross daily at San Ysidro to work, shop and play but it is unclear how many are foreigners in Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says about one-third entering San Diego are U.S. citizens, one-third are U.S. legal residents and the rest are from other countries, largely Mexico. An unknown number have dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. and Mexico.
Both countries have long wrestled with logistical hurdles of stopping people going to Mexico by land. The U.S. occasionally stops motorists and pedestrians as they leave - mainly to check for guns and cash - but it doesn't have a system to record exits like at airports, seen by many as a significant shortcoming in border security.
Previous efforts to question more foreigners entering Mexico met resistance in Tijuana, whose economy partly relies on Americans who visit restaurants, beaches, doctors and dentists. Lines to enter the United States at San Ysidro have exceeded four hours.
Roberto Arteaga, who has made tacos, shined shoes and sold tickets for private bus and van rides in Southern California during 28 years as a street vendor near the border crossing, says requiring passports and imposing a fee for longer stays sends the wrong message.
"We should be welcoming," he said during a lull in business Tuesday. "This will hurt Tijuana's economy."
Other crossers said the move was overdue.
"Anything to keep the country safer is much better for everyone," Cynthia Diaz of Oceanside, near San Diego, said as she stood in line to return to the U.S with her niece, who visited Tijuana for a root canal. "It's safer for us on the other side too."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MEXICO_CHECKS_FOREIGNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-20-09-23-54
What's your problem.
They have to protect their homeland.
Why, just last week some American tourists were caught throwing beer cans out of their car in Tijuana.
"Hay conio! Gringos throwing Rio Bravo beer cans at us is a racist statement" - Pablo, from Tijuana, Mexico.
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Walking into Mexico at the nation's busiest border crossing with the United States is no longer an uninterrupted stroll for foreigners.
Starting late Wednesday, pedestrians going to Tijuana from San Diego at the San Ysidro crossing must choose between a line for Mexicans who get waved through, and a line for foreigners who must show a passport, fill out a form and - if staying more than a week - pay 322 pesos, or roughly $20, for a six-month permit.
About a dozen foreigners stood in line Wednesday night, directed by English-speaking agents to six inspection booths where they got passports stamped. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
Travelers have long followed similar protocol at Mexican airports, but the new border procedure marks a big change at land crossings that weren't designed to question everyone. Pedestrians and motorists have generally entered Mexico unencumbered along the 1,954-mile border with the United States.
"This is about putting our house in order," said Rodulfo Figueroa, Mexico's top immigration official in Baja California state, which includes Tijuana.
The changes, which have been in the works for years, come as Donald Trump has surged to the top of the Republican field in the U.S. presidential race. He has insisted that Mexico sends criminals to the U.S. and pledges to build a border wall at Mexico's expense.
For Mexico, it is a step toward closing an escape route for American criminals who disappear in Mexico. Border inspectors will tap into international criminal databases. Motorists will see no change, and if lines get too long, officials will also wave pedestrians through.
More than 120 Americans expelled from Mexico this year while living in Baja California had arrest warrants in the U.S., according to Figueroa, delegate of the National Migration Institute. Some ordered to leave last year were on the FBI's most-wanted list.
But authorities say benefits extend beyond stopping unwanted visitors. A recent hurricane stranded twice as many Americans in Cabo San Lucas than U.S. authorities thought were there, Figueroa said, and registering as a foreigner would have made it easier to identify those who needed help.
Figueroa said Mexico can initially process about 1,000 foreigners daily, up from about 50 currently.
"If the line becomes clogged up, we will just let everybody through," Figueroa said. "If we can't check everybody, we won't."
Figueroa said San Ysidro is believed to be the first U.S. land crossing to have a separate line for foreigners to show passports and that it will serve as a model for others as they are upgraded. Aurora Vega, a spokeswoman for the National Migration Institute, referred questions to other departments. Officials at the Foreign Relations Department and Mexican Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
About 25,000 pedestrians (and 50,000 motorists) cross daily at San Ysidro to work, shop and play but it is unclear how many are foreigners in Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says about one-third entering San Diego are U.S. citizens, one-third are U.S. legal residents and the rest are from other countries, largely Mexico. An unknown number have dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. and Mexico.
Both countries have long wrestled with logistical hurdles of stopping people going to Mexico by land. The U.S. occasionally stops motorists and pedestrians as they leave - mainly to check for guns and cash - but it doesn't have a system to record exits like at airports, seen by many as a significant shortcoming in border security.
Previous efforts to question more foreigners entering Mexico met resistance in Tijuana, whose economy partly relies on Americans who visit restaurants, beaches, doctors and dentists. Lines to enter the United States at San Ysidro have exceeded four hours.
Roberto Arteaga, who has made tacos, shined shoes and sold tickets for private bus and van rides in Southern California during 28 years as a street vendor near the border crossing, says requiring passports and imposing a fee for longer stays sends the wrong message.
"We should be welcoming," he said during a lull in business Tuesday. "This will hurt Tijuana's economy."
Other crossers said the move was overdue.
"Anything to keep the country safer is much better for everyone," Cynthia Diaz of Oceanside, near San Diego, said as she stood in line to return to the U.S with her niece, who visited Tijuana for a root canal. "It's safer for us on the other side too."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MEXICO_CHECKS_FOREIGNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-20-09-23-54
What's your problem.
They have to protect their homeland.
Why, just last week some American tourists were caught throwing beer cans out of their car in Tijuana.
Madness! The Mehicans, questioning Murican privilege?!
The noose is drawn tighter as each day passes...
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Walking into Mexico at the nation's busiest border crossing with the United States is no longer an uninterrupted stroll for foreigners.
Starting late Wednesday, pedestrians going to Tijuana from San Diego at the San Ysidro crossing must choose between a line for Mexicans who get waved through, and a line for foreigners who must show a passport, fill out a form and - if staying more than a week - pay 322 pesos, or roughly $20, for a six-month permit.
About a dozen foreigners stood in line Wednesday night, directed by English-speaking agents to six inspection booths where they got passports stamped. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
Travelers have long followed similar protocol at Mexican airports, but the new border procedure marks a big change at land crossings that weren't designed to question everyone. Pedestrians and motorists have generally entered Mexico unencumbered along the 1,954-mile border with the United States.
"This is about putting our house in order," said Rodulfo Figueroa, Mexico's top immigration official in Baja California state, which includes Tijuana.
The changes, which have been in the works for years, come as Donald Trump has surged to the top of the Republican field in the U.S. presidential race. He has insisted that Mexico sends criminals to the U.S. and pledges to build a border wall at Mexico's expense.
For Mexico, it is a step toward closing an escape route for American criminals who disappear in Mexico. Border inspectors will tap into international criminal databases. Motorists will see no change, and if lines get too long, officials will also wave pedestrians through.
More than 120 Americans expelled from Mexico this year while living in Baja California had arrest warrants in the U.S., according to Figueroa, delegate of the National Migration Institute. Some ordered to leave last year were on the FBI's most-wanted list.
But authorities say benefits extend beyond stopping unwanted visitors. A recent hurricane stranded twice as many Americans in Cabo San Lucas than U.S. authorities thought were there, Figueroa said, and registering as a foreigner would have made it easier to identify those who needed help.
Figueroa said Mexico can initially process about 1,000 foreigners daily, up from about 50 currently.
"If the line becomes clogged up, we will just let everybody through," Figueroa said. "If we can't check everybody, we won't."
Figueroa said San Ysidro is believed to be the first U.S. land crossing to have a separate line for foreigners to show passports and that it will serve as a model for others as they are upgraded. Aurora Vega, a spokeswoman for the National Migration Institute, referred questions to other departments. Officials at the Foreign Relations Department and Mexican Embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
About 25,000 pedestrians (and 50,000 motorists) cross daily at San Ysidro to work, shop and play but it is unclear how many are foreigners in Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says about one-third entering San Diego are U.S. citizens, one-third are U.S. legal residents and the rest are from other countries, largely Mexico. An unknown number have dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. and Mexico.
Both countries have long wrestled with logistical hurdles of stopping people going to Mexico by land. The U.S. occasionally stops motorists and pedestrians as they leave - mainly to check for guns and cash - but it doesn't have a system to record exits like at airports, seen by many as a significant shortcoming in border security.
Previous efforts to question more foreigners entering Mexico met resistance in Tijuana, whose economy partly relies on Americans who visit restaurants, beaches, doctors and dentists. Lines to enter the United States at San Ysidro have exceeded four hours.
Roberto Arteaga, who has made tacos, shined shoes and sold tickets for private bus and van rides in Southern California during 28 years as a street vendor near the border crossing, says requiring passports and imposing a fee for longer stays sends the wrong message.
"We should be welcoming," he said during a lull in business Tuesday. "This will hurt Tijuana's economy."
Other crossers said the move was overdue.
"Anything to keep the country safer is much better for everyone," Cynthia Diaz of Oceanside, near San Diego, said as she stood in line to return to the U.S with her niece, who visited Tijuana for a root canal. "It's safer for us on the other side too."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MEXICO_CHECKS_FOREIGNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-08-20-09-23-54
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