Mexico president slams Arizona 'discrimination'

[FarCenter]

AFP - President Felipe Calderon hit out at "discrimination" against Mexican immigrants in Arizona, as the row over the state's draconian new immigration law risked overshadowing his US visit.

Calderon refused to hold his punches during his two-day state visit, strongly criticizing a law that while popular in Arizona has enraged Hispanics and stoked fears of racial profiling.

"Despite their enormous contribution to the economy and society of the United States," Calderon said, millions of immigrants "still live in the shadows, and at times, like in Arizona, even face patterns of discrimination."

Calderon was welcomed at a red-carpet White House ceremony full of pomp and pageantry.

And the two leaders later toasted each other at a gala White House dinner that brought together a who's who of Mexican and Mexican-American personalities, lightening the moood with entertainment by R and B diva Beyonce.

But earlier in close door talks, Calderon and Obama took up Mexico's deep concern over the Arizona law, which Obama agreed "has the potential of being applied in a discriminatory fashion."

<SNIP>http://www.france24.com/en/20100520-mexico-president-slams-arizona-discrimination

---

I doubt that Calderon would be discriminated against -- he doesn't look Mexican.

[ORDagnabbit]

1. there is a difference between legal mexican immigrants and illegal mexican immigrants. n/t

[EFerrari]

3. Not in SB1070. It puts all Latinos in harms way.

Did you see the story about that little girl that was just blown away by the police in Detroit?

They had the wrong house.

Unnecessary police contact is dangerous.

[howaboutme]

2. Has anyone ever taken

Mexican immigration policies to task? If not they should. They are far more stringent than USA policies. Hypocrisy is one of those things that always rubs most of us the wrong way regardless of our politics. Immigration (illegal and otherwise) is about the rich USA elites making sure American labor hits a concrete ceiling on their income. We could take in immigrants from all over the world with an open border policy and the Chamber of Commerce and the rich would have wet dreams while Americans would have far less.

[LakeSamish706]

4. So if Calderon is so damned concerned why doesn't he fix his own country

so his people can make a decent living at home? His bullshit is just that, he is the elected head of Mexico, so do something about your country.

[ORDagnabbit]

5. seriously! and what about his law of Reglamento de la Ley General de Poblacion???

Mexico's illegals laws tougher than Arizona's
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/03/mexicos-illegals-laws-tougher-than-arizonas/

By Jerry Seper

Mexican President Felipe Calderon denounced as "racial discrimination" an Arizona law giving state and local police the authority to arrest suspected illegal immigrants and vowed to use all means at his disposal to defend Mexican nationals against a law he called a "violation of human rights."

But the legislation, signed April 23 by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, is similar to Reglamento de la Ley General de Poblacion — the General Law on Population enacted in Mexico in April 2000, which mandates that federal, local and municipal police cooperate with federal immigration authorities in that country in the arrests of illegal immigrants.

Under the Mexican law, illegal immigration is a felony, punishable by up to two years in prison. Immigrants who are deported and attempt to re-enter can be imprisoned for 10 years. Visa violators can be sentenced to six-year terms. Mexicans who help illegal immigrants are considered criminals.

The law also says Mexico can deport foreigners who are deemed detrimental to "economic or national interests," violate Mexican law, are not "physically or mentally healthy" or lack the "necessary funds for their sustenance" and for their dependents.

"This sounds like the kind of law that a rational nation would have to protect itself against illegal immigrants — that would stop and punish the very people who are violating the law," said Rep. Steve King of Iowa, ranking Republican on the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, citizenship, refugees, border security and international law.

"Why would Mr. Calderon have any objections to an Arizona law that is less draconian than his own, one he has pledged to enforce?" Mr. King said.

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism and homeland security, described Mr. Calderon's comments as "hypocritical to say the least."

"I would have expected more from Mr. Calderon," said Mr. Kyl, who serves as the Senate minority whip. "We are spending millions of dollars to help Mexico fight the drug cartels that pose a threat to his government, and he doesn't seem to recognize our concerns. He ought to be apologizing to us instead of condemning us."

Mr. Kyl, along with fellow Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, has introduced a 10-point comprehensive border security plan to combat illegal immigration, drug and human smuggling, and violent crime along the southwestern border. It includes the deployment of National Guard troops, an increase in U.S. Border Patrol agents and 700 miles of fencing, along with other equipment and funding upgrades.

He said skyrocketing violence on the border, including the recent killing of an Arizona rancher by an illegal immigrant he had gone to assist, has not gone unnoticed by the public, adding that until the federal government provides the necessary funding and manpower to adequately secure the southwestern border, Arizona will not long remain the only state to pass legislation to do it on its own.

More at the link

[EFerrari]

6. Mexico is exactly the way the Mexican oligarchy and ours want it to be.

Remember, Calderon was Bush's pick over the candidate who probably won. Their last election was just like 2000 here, except it was in Mexico.

[LakeSamish706]

8. I remember the stolen election very clearly and wonder why the Mexican people

have not risen up like others do in the European countries. Things will never change in Mexico if Mexicans don't fight for change.

[EFerrari]

14. I just looked that up to write about it. They were in the street from July

to December, when this @sshole was inaugurated.

[amborin]

21. out migration

has long served as a safety net to prevent just such an uprising; along with all its other problems, there is tremendous inequality in Mexico, and inadequate land reform....the ruling elite has a firm grip on power there, just as they currently do in the US

meanwhile, neo-liberal policies have allowed consolidation of ejidos, and exacerbated the flight of peasants to the cities and out....and, NAFTA and US ag subsidies to the Big 5 further exacerbate this, by indirectly pushing poor farmers off the land, as the prices they command for their produce on world markets is not enough for even subsistence

and, Mexicans remember their own bloody revolution and shudder at the horror of it all....

[AmericaIsGreat]

7. Excuse me, Mr. Calderon, but I think you should respectfully stfu

Please do something about the quality of life for your people in your country; they are willing to DIE to leave. Stop turning the other way while your military helps human smuggling. When you've done some of that, then come complain about laws in the U.S. Douche-bag.

[unabelladonna]

9. maybe he should worry about mexicans

in his own sh-thole of a country. he's got alot of nerve nagging us to find a solution to his countrymen fleeing his nation because conditions are despicable.
...or maybe call this what it really is ...the re-conquest of the southwest.

[EFerrari]

19. His shithole of a country? Stay classy, "belladonna".

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Stupid Pole worried about us addressing the Jew problem while not fixing their own Jew problem.

:sarcasm:

[Hello_Kitty]

17. Because addressing the poverty and violence in his own country

Would make Calderon EXACTLY like Hitler.

:crazy:

[datasuspect]

18. you know, those people have strange rituals and customs too!

[Mike K]

11. Calderon's complaint is an example of sheer audacity.

And the only reason he's expressing it is he knows Obama will support him on it. I wonder what action he would authorize if hundreds of thousands of impoverished Haitians and persecuted Rwandan Tutsis began streaming across the border from Guatamala and making a home in Mexico.

Instead of mimicking Calderon's complaint Obama should be decrying government's abyssmal failure to establish a viable guest worker program and refusing to prosecute employers of undocumented migrants, which is the very root of the problem. Arizona's new law is a direct response to that failure. But rather than address government's failure, Obama is evading the issue by criticizing Arizona with the clear intention of pushing the burden back onto the ultimate victims -- the taxpayers.

And there is no shortage of ignorant, pious assholes in the U.S. who are going right along with it.

[EFerrari]

15. Why would Haitians be in Guatemala?

The difference is, Mexico didn't blow up the economy in Guatemala with NAFTA as we blew up Mexican agriculture.

And thousands of refugess have poured into Mexico fleeing the consequences of US policy -- from El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and lately, Honduras.

[terrapinwelcher]

23. NAFTA "blew up Mexican agriculture"?

Dammit man, do you have a single post on any of the Mexico-U.S. relations issues where you actually apply culpability and accountability to Mexico for any of their actions? If so, please elaborate.

[EFerrari]

25. Mexico didn't dump cheap subsidized corn on itself. That's the fact.

[terrapinwelcher]

26. And American Farmers Didn't Dump

Cheap avocados and tomatoes in this country either. So your real problem is with farm subsidies? Good! The U.S. should never be in the business of picking corporate winners and losers through government policy. But that is not the fault of NAFTA. We control Congress and the WH. Why the hell aren't we dealing with stuff like farm subsidies? I swear, we are no better than the repugs on most issues. We just come up with better sounding rationalizations.

[EFerrari]

27. Farm subsidies are part of the problem but NAFTA put them on skates.

And no, we are not just like Republicans on most issues.

[terrapinwelcher]

28. Farm Subsidies Are the ROOT Problem

Eliminate them and NAFTA is a non-issue in the agricultural world (except to those who demand government protection at the expense of we the consumers).

[datasuspect]

12. HOW DARE HE?

he gives aid and comfort to uhhhmerica's enemies: the swarthy "Verbrecher" und "Untermenschen."

too bad there isn't a way to "liberate" mexico!

[terrapinwelcher]

13. When Felipe Calderon

Changes Mexico's federal immigration laws to match those of the U.S., then he might have a shred of credibility.

[dkf]

16. Maybe if he did something to keep his killers and thugs under control we wouldn't have this

situation.

His lack of control puts American citizens at harm. Shame on him.

[MODem75]

29. Our prohibition of drugs created a market for their cartels

We are just as responsible since Americans are the ones buying drugs from them.

[bridgit]

20. Calderon is running cover, as did Fox before him - for Mexico's ruling elite...

being unable to provide policies that would lift their own people out of lousy economic times

[terrapinwelcher]

24. Of Course He Is

He is not interested in any real reform. That is why closing our borders tightly will eventually force the issue in Mexico. If all we do is provide a safety valve for Mexico's poor, then it will never "come to a boil" in that country. It seems counterintuitive, but the best way we can help Mexico's poor is by not letting them come to the United States.

[bridgit]

30. I can see the outrage if our Gov started suggesting 10's of millions of Americans...

cross into Canada undocumented & start taking up whatever Canadian jobs are available after we sidle in already speaking English :thumbsup: to alleviate economic pressures here in the states, which of course we have plenty of as it is. I am, however, more accommodating with respect to a process that enables people to cross. A process clearly perceivable as fair & straight up & down for all

Every day spent missing the mark on the importance of immigration, or reducing it all down to "you're just a racist hater of Mexicans in need of jobs" is another day many, even here at DU, offer the Mexican Gov cover while they implement Ronald Reagan's keynote "Let them vote with their feet" as a matter of policy - cause this is what it looks like on a hemispherical level

[amborin]

22. ps:

i realize you didn't mean anything negative in your OP; but your closing statement that Calderon "doesn't look Mexican" is problematic; Mexico is an incredibly heterogeneous nation; to try to say that someone does or does not 'look Mexican' is troubling;