VivirLatino

This week Georgia governor Sonny Perdue signed into legislation the strictest immigration laws on the books in the United States. The law will deny some aid and social services to those unable to prove their legal status in the U.S. and will penalize employers who employ undocumented immigrants. Fulfilling a promise from months ago (also proposed in other states), Georgia will also demand that local police report undocumented immigrants to Immigration.

American media certainly doesn’t care about Mexico’s take on the whole matter, so it’s a good thing that foreign media does. The BBC quotes Mexican presidential spokesman Ruben Aguilar:

“The referred legislation incurs discriminatory acts against the Mexican population and those of Mexican origin,” Mr Aguilar said.

“It is a partial measure that fails to resolve the complex phenomenon of immigration between Mexico and the United States in an integral manner.”

Mexico’s El Universal goes on:

Aguilar pointed out that as Perdue was signing the bill in Georgia, border state Arizona’s governor, Janet Napolitano, “vetoed [proposed] legislation that would be anti-immigrant”.

“This just shows the complexity of a problem that affects both countries, and that can only be resolved by looking at the phenomenon in an integral way.”

More on Atlanta Latino

Related reading: Ga. town at center of immigrant labor case

Via / BBC News and El Universal (Spanish)

Photo via Henry Herald (Jeffrey Leo)