MEXICO PLANS TO STEP UP PRESSURE NEXT YEAR FOR AMNESTY

"Mexican President Vicente Fox's renewed efforts to lobby for change in U.S. immigration policy may hurt his cause more than help it and could galvanize opposition in a divided American Congress, senior U.S. officials said," according to the Dallas Morning News. "The Mexican government is planning a multipronged effort in the United States on behalf of the millions of Mexicans working without proper documentation. Targets would include agricultural groups and Latino organizations. Mexico wants a system to regulate the flow of workers back and forth and to provide legal protections for those in the United States. But some U.S. officials say that if the Mexican government inserts itself into what they call a highly sensitive domestic issue, it could complicate what already looms as a difficult task for President Bush."

According to the paper, "Mexican officials say they plan to spend "hundreds of thousands" of dollars to promote the issue through its 47 Mexican consulates in the United States, focusing on regions that government officials consider crucial to success. Mexico plans to hire lobbyists and to work closely with leading U.S. think tanks and universities to promote its national interests, the Mexican official said. The strategy is, 'take the message to local and state governments, lobby from the bottom up,' the official said. 'This is not about interfering in U.S. domestic policy, but about being part of a debate on immigration, which we consider one of the most important items in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral agenda.'"