WASHINGTON (By Billy House, Republic Washington Bureau) January 6, 2004 - Arizona Rep. J.D. Hayworth has written a letter of protest to the Mexican government urging a halt to its distribution of a new how-to comic book providing safety information for border crossers, calling it "state-sponsored illegal immigration."

"As an act of good faith, I call on your government to immediately cease the distribution of the Guide for the Mexican Migrant, which is only the latest flagrant example of the Mexican government's lack of respect for U.S. laws," Republican Hayworth wrote Tuesday to Mexican Ambassador Carlos de Icaza.

In an interview, Hayworth said his reaction to news of the guide reported Saturday in The Arizona Republic was "more astonishment than anger that a government that claims to want to be an active partner in preventing illegal immigration is an active and willing accomplice to engendering more illegal immigration."

Hayworth added that he and a group of other House Republicans, who call themselves the "Bloody Tongue Caucus" because they bit their tongues during the 2004 presidential election year rather than speak out more often on immigration concerns, no longer will mute themselves.

Alfonso Nieto, press secretary at the Mexican Embassy, said the ambassador had not seen Hayworth's letter but said, "The aim of the book is to save lives." He said that this is not the first time such information has been published by the Mexican government but noted that this is "a new presentation."

"It clearly states at the beginning and the end that the appropriate way to gain entry is with a passport or a visa," Nieto said. But he said it also recognizes that hundreds of Mexicans have died while trying to cross the border in clandestine ways.

The self-stated purpose of the of 32-page comic book published by Mexico's Foreign Ministry is to give would-be undocumented immigrants some "practical advice." But it offers no detailed information on applying for U.S. visas. Instead, it gives tips on such things as what to wear when crossing rivers or how to avoid dehydration when crossing the desert. The information is being distributed as a free supplement to El Libro Vaquero, a popular cowboy comic book.

White House spokesman Taylor Gross on Wednesday said he had not seen a copy of the guide and would not comment on it directly. But he said that "the president has an excellent working relationship with the Mexican government" and that both governments "are committed to ensuring migration into the U.S. is safe, orderly and legal."

Even so, Hayworth's letter comes amid political bluster on both sides of the border over immigration issues.

On Dec. 22, the Mexican Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing Arizona's Proposition 200, saying it "encourages acts of discrimination based on an ethnic profile."

That measure, approved by Arizona voters in November, requires state and local employees to verify the immigration status of people applying for public benefits and report undocumented immigrants or face possible criminal prosecution.

Last week, lawmakers from the leftist Democratic Revolution Party, the third-largest contingent in the Mexican Congress, urged President Vicente Fox to withdraw the Mexican ambassador to Washington to protest Proposition 200. Fox ignored them.

The flare-up over the guide also comes at a time when President Bush, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and other lawmakers are trying to win congressional support for a guest-worker program that could provide large numbers of Mexicans temporary work visas, while other Republicans are pointing to the threat of terrorism as a reason to further restrict immigration.

In his letter, Hayworth warns, "Mexico's state sponsorship of illegal immigration is nothing less than an act of deliberate hostility against the United States - an attack on our sovereignty - and it must cease before it does permanent damage to our relationship."

"The Mexican government has expressed support for an accountable guest-worker program," Hayworth adds. "However, such a program is simply not possible as long as the illegal invasion of America's borders continues with the active encouragement of the Mexican government."