Not only does Mexico harbor killers; it insists on special treatment for its citizens who have been caught and prosecuted for murder in the United States. It has found a willing ally in the Bush administration, which refuses to press for extradition of murderers from Mexico.
In March, the Bush administration ordered state courts to review the cases of 51 Mexican nationals who are on Death Row. This represents a change of position for President George W. Bush, who until now has shown little regard for either the Vienna Convention, which requires a country that detains a foreign citizen to notify that individual of his right to seek the help of a consular officer, or the International Court, which ordered the review.
Until March, the U.S. government viewed the International Court ruling as an unwarranted intrusion on the criminal-justice system in the United States and an infringement on U.S. sovereignty. In the case of the death penalty, for instance, the people of Colorado and California, through their elected representatives, have decided it is a legitimate penalty. If criminals want to commit crimes in these jurisdictions, then they have to face the penalty the public deems appropriate.
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