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NAFTA
IMMIGRATION
‘Mexico missed you’ Tamaulipas begins task of repatriating deportees By Aaron Nelsen SA N A NT ONI O E XPRE SS-NEWS
NUEVO LAREDO, Mexico — Deportees arrive in this gritty border city by the busload. They appear on the streets disheveled and disoriented, making them easy marks for criminal groups looking to prey on their vulnerability. Fortunately for many of these expats, the Instituto Tamaulipeco, a state-run migrant organization, will be there to reintroduce them to Mexico. “Welcome home,” said the institute’s director, Jose Carmona, greeting a few dozen shellshocked deportees. “So things didn’t go according to plan. Mexico is your land, your flag, your roots, and honestly, Mex-
ico missed you.” Most Mexicans are repatriated in towns that border the United States. More than 57,000 were sent to cities in Tamaulipas in 2016; only Baja California took in more people. So when President Donald Trump promised to deport up to 3 million criminal immigrants earlier this year, Tamaulipas officials braced for a mass deportation. But Mexican figures show only 29,738 were repatriated from Jan. 1 through Aug. 31 to Tamaulipas, which is on pace to be considerably fewer than last year. And U.S. figures show Immigration and Customs Enforcement is deporting fewer
Declining deportations
San Antonio
Despite threats of mass deportations, fewer people are being sent back to Mexico. xico. TEXAS Nuevo The border state of Tamaulipas takes in around a quarter of all deportees, and tens ns Laredo of thousands of northbound migrants MEXICO every year. Reynosa Matamoros
Number of deportees received by cities in Tamaulipas 50,000
Gulf of Mexico
Tamaulipas
Concerns raised over wages Equal pay sought for Mexican workers ASSOCIATED PRE SS
43,187
Nuev o La red o M at am or os
MEXICO CITY — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised the issue of Mexico’s persistently low wages during a 30,000 visit Friday, as both countries and the United States continue 15,247 negotiations over the North 20,000 8,685 American Free Trade Agreement. a s o In a speech to the Mexican eyn 10,000 R 4,501 senate, Trudeau said support 5,806 for NAFTA “depends on the 0 fruits of this trade being fairly 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 shared.” As of Aug. 3 Source: Secretaria de Gobernacion de Mexico “So we must pursue trade Mike Fisher/San Antonio Express-New Mexico continues on A8 agreements that are win, win, win, helping workers across North America achieve better standards, wages and working conditions,” he told lawmakers. Mexican wages are a key element in NAFTA talks, with Washington pushing to increase labor protections and pay. Auto workers in Mexico, for example, often earn about $2 per hour compared with $30 or more by their counterparts in the other two countries. Wages are kept low in Mexico in part because of antiquated labor laws and pro-government unions that often sign contracts behind workers’ backs. Some unions are so absent from the workplace that employees sometimes don’t even know one exists. It was not clear whether Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto discussed the wage issue directly during the Thursday and Friday visit. Peña Nieto said Thursday night at a dinner for Trudeau that “Mexico sees the renegotiation of NAFTA as a way to ensure that any agreement reached represents an opportunity to improve labor conditions in Mexico.” “Mexico doesn’t want to be competitive based on low wages,” Peña Nieto said. “Mexico wants to compete on the basis of skilled labor.” However his government has not moved to get rid of thousands of pro-company “protecCourtesy photo tion” contracts that prevent real unions from organizing. Congressman Henry Cuellar presents a check for $1,973,630 from the U.S. Department of Health And leaders of crooked labor and Human Services to SCAN Inc. President and CEO Isela Dabdoub and SCAN Inc. Vice federations are in many cases President Christopher Craddock during a grant announcement Friday morning. Cuellar announced two grants from HHS to SCAN to combat substance abuse, HIV, viral hepatitis and members of Peña Nieto’s In40,000
40,276
SERVING CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN NEED
CUELLAR PRESENTS NEARLY $2 MILLION IN FEDERAL GRANTS Money will fund prevention programs and services S P ECIAL T O T HE T I ME S
Congressman Henry Cuellar recently joined Serving Children and Adults in Need officials to announce two federal grants totaling $1,973,630. “These federal funds and programs are a great investment for maintaining healthy communities along the border,” Cuellar said. “It is one of my priorities as your U.S. congressman to bring federal resources to keep our people safe, healthy and prosperous. I believe we must continue to provide extensive outreach and prevention services. “I congratulate (SCAN President and CEO Isela) Dabdoub and everyone at SCAN on receiving these two awards from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and for their invaluable work that they provide to improve the lives of Grants continues on A8
homelessness among youth and young adults in Webb, Zapata and Starr counties.
NAFTA continues on A8
EDUCATION
Harmony Public Schools open third campus By Andrea Castañeda LA R ED O MORNI NG T IME S
Harmony Public Schools in Laredo, which once served 340 students and operated out of one building, has now grown to three campuses serving about 1,700 students. The public charter school celebrated its growth Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Harmony
School of Excellence, located off San Francisco Avenue. The third and newest campus, which opened its doors in August, houses grades nine to 12. During Thursday’s ceremony, Renato Ramirez, CEO and chairman of the board of International Bank of Commerce in Zapata, spoke about his role in bringing the new model of education to Laredo. Ramirez
has been instrumental in the expansion, having provided the land and financing for the construction of the schools. Ever since the establishment of its first campus, Harmony Science Academy, in 2008, the school has been in high demand from parents and students interested in the school's curriculum. “Our focus is on science, Harmony continues on A8
Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times
Local and state officials join forces with Harmony Public Schools officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Laredo's newest high school, Harmony School of Excellence, on Thursday.