Georgia criminalizes immigrants, Mexico reacts

Fri21Apr2006

Georgia criminalizes immigrants, Mexico reacts

17:10 H | Topics: Georgia - Immigration - Mexico

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."

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1. Jon ~ Friday, Apr 28 2006 | 12:48H:

This is blatantly unconstitutional. The US Constitution in Article 1, Section 7, reserves immigration issues to Congress, empowering Congress alone with the authority "To establish a uniform rule of naturalization".

The 14th Amendment distinguishes between the "privileges or immunities of citizens" and the "rights" which every person resident in the United States enjoys requiring that "No state...shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

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