Calderon condemns "discriminatory" Arizona law

WASHINGTON | Wed May 19, 2010 10:12am EDT

WASHINGTON May 19 (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday condemned a tough new immigration law in the U.S. state of Arizona, calling it discriminatory to Mexicans.

The law, which comes into force in July, requires state and local police to determine if people are in the country illegally, previously a function carried out by federal immigration police and some local forces.

Calderon said Mexico and the United States should work together to develop an immigration policy that did not force people to live in the shadows "with such laws as the Arizona law, which is forcing our people to face discrimination."

Calderon, whose remarks were translated from Spanish, was speaking at the start of a state visit to the United States.

Some 12 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, most of them from Mexico and Central America.

(Reporting by Ross Colvin and Patricia Zengerle)

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Comments (2)
entourage2009 wrote:
At what point in America was it ok for someone from another country come to America and bash on the US or a state form the White house? That is uncalled for and both Obama and Caldron should be tried for Treason. In addition, why is the admistration trying to put a wedge between people?

May 21, 2010 2:26am EDT  --  Report as abuse
pcasinelli wrote:
If the United States, the defender of the Free World and the only reason why Europe and Asia are not nuclear wastelands or run by, Nazis, Fascists, Japanese Imperialists, or Communists, were to lecture another state about its domestic politics the entire world would flip out and point at American arrogance and Imperialism. Yet, Mexico, a narco-state, can come and lecture the PRESIDENT of the United States about the immigration laws of one of its states. Something is wrong here.

May 21, 2010 6:54am EDT  --  Report as abuse
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