|
Guide for the Mexican Migrant
Distributed by the Mexican
Ministry of Foreign Relations
View the Spanish language
original here.
INTRODUCTION
Esteemed Countryman:
The purpose of this guide is to provide
you with practical advice that may prove useful to you in case you have
made the difficult decision to search for employment opportunities
outside of your country.
The sure way to enter another country
is by getting your passport from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the
visa, which you may apply for at the embassy or consulate of the country
you wish to travel to.
However, in practice we see many
Mexicans who try to cross the Northern Border without the necessary
documents, through high risk zones that involve grave dangers,
particularly in desert areas or rivers with strong, and not always
obvious, currents.
Reading this guide will make you aware
of some basic questions about the legal consequences of your stay in the
United States of America without the appropriate migratory documents, as
well as about the rights you have in that country, once you are there,
independent of your migratory status.
Keep in mind always that there exist
legal mechanisms to enter the United States of America
legally.
In any case, if you encounter problems
or run into difficulties, remember that Mexico has 45 consulates in that
country whose locations you can find listed in this publication.
Familiarize yourself with the closest
consulate and make use of it.
DANGERS IN CROSSING
HIGH RISK ZONES
To cross the river can be very risky,
above all if you cross alone and at night.
Heavy clothing increases in weight when
wet and this makes swimming and floating difficult.
If you cross by desert, try to walk at
times when the heat will not be too intense.
Highways and population centers are far
apart, which means you will spend several days looking for roads, and you
will not be able to carry foodstuffs or water for long periods of time.
Also, you can get lost.
Salt water helps keep liquids in your
body. Although you may feel more thirst if you drink salt water, the risk
of dehydration is much less.
The symptoms of dehydration are:
—Little or no sweat.
—Dryness in the eyes and in the mouth.
—Headache.
—Tiredness and excessive exhaustion.
—Difficulty in walking and thinking.
—Hallucinations and visions.
If you get lost, guide yourself by
lightposts, train tracks, or dirt roads.
BEWARE OF HUMAN
TRAFFICKERS (COYOTES, POLLEROS)
They can deceive you with assurances of
crossing in a few hours through the mountains and deserts. This is simply
not so!
They can risk your life taking you
across rivers, drainage canals, desert areas, train tracks, or highways.
This has caused the death of hundreds of persons.
If you decide to hire people
traffickers to cross the border, consider the following precautions:
Do not let them out of your sight.
Remember that they are the only ones who know the lay of the land, and
therefore the only ones who can get you out of that place.
Do not trust those who offer to take
you to “the other side” and ask you to drive a car or to take or carry a
package for them. Normally, those packages contain drugs or other
prohibited substances. For this reason, many people have ended up in
jail.
If you transport other persons, you can
be confused with a human trafficker, and they can accuse you of the crime
of trafficking or auto theft.
Do not entrust your minor children to
strangers who offer to take them across to the United States.
DO NOT USE FALSE
DOCUMENTS
DO NOT USE FALSE DOCUMENTS OR THOSE
THAT DO NOT BELONG TO YOU, NOR DECLARE A FALSE NATIONALITY.
If you try to cross with false
documents or those of another person, take into account the following:
To use false documents or those of
another person is a federal crime in the United States, for which you can
be tried in a criminal proceeding and end up in jail; likewise if you use
a false name or say that you are a citizen of the United States when you
are not one.
Do not lie to officials of the United
States at ports and points of entry.
IF YOU ARE ARRESTED
Do not resist arrest.
Do not assault or insult officials.
Do not throw rocks or objects at
officials or at patrols since this is considered a provocation by those
officials.
If they believe themselves to be under
attack, it is likely that they will use force to arrest you.
Raise your hands slowly so that they
see you are not armed.
Do not have in your hands any object
that could be considered a weapon such as spotlights, screwdrivers,
pocket knives, knives, or rocks.
Do not run or try to escape.
Do not hide in dangerous places.
Do not cross high-speed highways.
It is better to be arrested for a few
hours and repatriated to Mexico than to get lost in the desert.
IF THEY ARREST YOU,
YOU HAVE RIGHTS!
Give your real name.
If you are a minor accompanied by an
adult, tell the authorities so they do not separate you.
Your rights are:
To know where you are.
To ask that they allow you to contact a
representative of the closest Mexican consulate for assistance.
Not to make statements or to sign
documents, above all if they are in English, without the advise of a
defense lawyer or Mexican consular representative.
To receive medical attention if you are
injured or in delicate health.
To be respected in your person and to
receive dignified treatment without regard to your migratory status.
To have safe transport.
To have food and water whenever you
need it.
You are not obligated to state your
migratory status at the time of arrest.
You have the right not to be beaten or
insulted.
Not to be held incommunicado.
In case they take away your things, ask
for a receipt so that you can claim them upon release.
It is important that you inform your
lawyer or Mexican consular representative who visits you of any
infringement of these rights. Also inform the closest office of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico.
If you want more information and you
live in Texas or the city of Acuña, Coahuila, tune in to “La Poderosa”
(The Powerful) at 1570 AM.
IN CASE OF ARREST
If you are sentenced for a crime or you
are jailed and facing a criminal proceeding, you have the following
rights:
Not to be discriminated against by the
police, the courts, or prison officials.
To receive visits by Mexican consular
personnel and members of your family.
To receive legal representation without
conditions and obstacles.
|
|
|
“Laws.”
|
If you are facing a criminal proceeding
and you have not yet been sentenced, ask your lawyer or consular
representative about pleading guilty.
Do not declare yourself guilty without
first consulting your lawyer about the chances of winning your case.
It is important that you know the laws
of the state where you live and work since the laws in each one are
different. Consider the following advice:
If you drink, do not drive, since if
you do not have documents, you can be arrested and deported.
If a legal resident is convicted more
than twice for drinking under the influence, he can be deported.
Do not drive without a drivers license.
Respect traffic laws and use your
seatbelt.
Do not drive without insurance and do
not agree to drive a stranger’s car.
Do not let strangers into your car.
If when driving, you commit a traffic
infraction and you are stopped by the police, place your hands on the
steering wheel and do not get out of the car until the officer requests
that you do so.
Avoid calling attention to yourself
while you normalize your stay or process your documents to live in the
United States.
The best way is not to change your
routine of going from your job to your home.
Avoid noisy parties. The neighbors can
get annoyed and call the police, and you can be arrested.
Avoid getting involved in fights.
If you go to a bar or night club, and a
fight starts, leave, since in the confusion you could be arrested even
though you have done anything.
Avoid family or domestic violence. As
in Mexico, it is a crime in the United States.
Domestic violence is not only physical,
but it also includes threats, screaming, and ill-treatment.
If you are accused of domestic violence
against your children, spouse, or some other person who lives with you,
you could go to jail. In addition, the Child Protective Service could
take away your children.
Do not carry firearms, knives, or other
dangerous objects.
Keep in mind that many Mexicans are
dead or in prison for that.
If the police enter your house or
apartment, do not resist. However, ask for a proper warrant. It is better
to cooperate and to seek to communicate with the closest Mexican
consulate.
|
|
|
“Search Warrant.”
|
CONSULATES
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has 45
consular offices in the Interior and on the Southern Border of the United
States of America whose function is to help you. Remember, if you have
been arrested or are serving a prison term, you have the right to
communicate with the closest Mexican Consulate.
Always carry your Consular Protection
Guide.
Stay close to the Consulate.
Stay close to Mexico.
It is your home, Countryman!
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS General Directorate of Protection and
Consular Affairs
For more news about race and
immigration, click here.
|
