• by IPS Correspondents (washington)
• Wednesday, November 23, 1994
• Inter Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (IPS) - Immigration and trade topped the first meeting here Wednesday between U.S. President Bill Clinton and Mexico's President-elect Ernesto Zedillo, according to the White House.

The two men agreed to "work together" in dealing with immigration issues, particularly in light of the approval by California voters earlier this month of Proposition 187 which will strip undocumented foreigners in the West Coast state of their rights to state-funded social and health services.

They also agreed on the "very positive results" achieved under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which went into effect Jan. 1, the White House said.

The value of two-way trade between the United States and Mexico has increased by around 20 percent since then, according to official statistics. U.S. and Canadian investment has also moved upward since the pact took effect and accounted for more than half of total investment in Mexico.

Zedillo, who is on a brief tour of Canada, Central America, and the United States before his inaugural Dec. 1, will meet with Clinton again at the Summit of the Americas in Miami Dec 9-11.

The White House said both leaders "recognised that the Summit holds the promise of being a milestone in building a strong hemispheric community of American democracies."

They also agreed that relations between the two countries have reached a "historic high" despite Proposition 187's passage which sparked anti-U.S. demonstrations in Mexico.

The proposition, which was approved despite opposition from Clinton and even some Republican leaders, was strongly denounced by Mexican President Carlos Salinas.

Mexicans make up by far the largest number of undocumented immigrants in California wnose economic growth since the turn of the century has long acted as a magnet for migrant labourers.

But the state hit hard times during the late 1980s, and its Republican governor, Pete Wilson, rode to reelection on the strength of growing anti-immigrant sentiment.

The proposition, which is already subject of numerous court challenges, would deny schooling and non-emergency medical care to undocumented foreigners, including children. Under its terms, teachers and medical personnel would also be obliged to inform immigration authorities about anyone suspected of being in the state illegally.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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