MEXICO CITY, Jan. 5 -- Mexican officials tried Wednesday to calm a growing furor over a government-distributed comic book guide for migrants that critics charge amounts to instructions on how to illegally cross into the United States.
"We are a country that respects the law and we advise our people to respect the law," Carlos de Icaza, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, said in a telephone interview from Washington. He said the intention of the new 32-page guide, written in a simplified form that resembles a comic strip, was to warn Mexicans not to illegally cross the U.S. border, where hundreds die every year.
Acknowledging that many Mexicans do risk the often-dangerous clandestine journey north, however, he said the guide also aims to minimize fatalities from drowning or dehydration.
Passages in the guide offer this helpful hint when crossing the Rio Grande: "Heavy clothes get heavier when wet, making swimming or floating more difficult." To those crossing the Arizona desert, it advises, "water with salt helps to retain the liquids in your body." The government is distributing 1.5 million copies of the comic book.
The booklet advises those who do make it into the United States to "avoid calling attention to yourself" and stay away from loud parties because "neighbors could get mad and call the police." It says people should leave immediately "if you go to a bar or a nightclub and a fight starts," because "you could be arrested, even if you didn't do anything."
Some U.S. lawmakers are furious about the booklet, saying it is tantamount to the Mexican government printing a "how-to" guide to illegally entering the United States.
"The Mexican government is aiding and abetting the illegal invasion" of Mexicans into the United States, said Rep. J. D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), who called for an immediate halt to distribution of the guide. "Can you imagine if our State Department . . . put out a publication saying, 'We don't recommend stealing, but if you are going to be involved in stealing in Mexico anyway, here are some helpful hints on how to jimmy the door?' "
Mexican officials said Wednesday that the guide has been misconstrued by critics, with only selective passages cited. They note that the guide clearly states that the safe way to enter the United States is with a valid passport and visa.
"Some are not interpreting the guide correctly," Icaza said, emphasizing that the guide also advises migrants not to use false documents if they are trying to enter the United States, not to run away from border officials or throw rocks at them, and not to lie to a U.S. official.
