Mexico Vows Legal Action Against U.S. After El Paso Shooting

Well, this is rich.

Mexico threatened illegal action against the U.S. for failing to protect Mexican citizens following the El Paso shooting this weekend.

“The president has instructed me to ensure that Mexico’s indignation translates into … efficient, prompt, expeditious and forceful legal actions for Mexico to take a role and demand that conditions are established that protect … Mexicans in the United States,” [Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard] said in a video posted on Twitter.

El Paso’s population is more than 80% Hispanic or Latino, and it sits just across the Rio Grande from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.  At least three of those killed, and nine of those injured, in there yesterday were Mexican citizens.  According to reports, the event is being investigated as a hate crime because the shooter appeared to be targeting Hispanics.

This is ridiculous.  First of all, how many Americans are killed in Mexico every year?  How many are the victims of other crimes?  Enough that the U.S. State Debate has issued an ongoing travel advisory for Mexico due to crime and kidnapping.

Also, regardless of your nationality, you are much less likely to be the victim of violent crime, including murder, in the United States.  Of course, there are more dangerous and less dangerous parts of both countries, but overall the U.S. is statistically much safer.  That’s part of the reason many Mexicans come here.

Most importantly, the perpetrator in El Paso was not targeting Mexicans.  He may have been targeting Hispanics – but most of El Paso is Hispanic.  Race and nationality are two different things.  I could understand Mexico’s indignation better if the perpetrator had been specifically targeting Mexicans, but I’ve seen no indication that’s the case.

Anyway, we’ll see if anything comes of this.

Thoughts?