Mexican Lawmakers Condemn Arizona's 'Racist' Anti-Immigrant
Law
"Deputies
said that the law passed last Friday is one with a 'racist' character, and demanded
that the U.S. try to understand the problem of migration from a more broad and
comprehensive perspective. … and that unilateral measures that violate
individual rights don't contribute to strengthening relations between the two
nations, nor do they serve to properly address the issue of migration."
The full Chamber of Deputies condemned
the anti-immigrant legislation passed last week in the American Union's state
of Arizona.
In a position paper read out by
PanistaFrancisco
Ramírez Acuña, the speaker of St. Lazarus [the legislative palace], deputies
said that the law passed last Friday is one with a "racist" character,
and demanded that the U.S. try to understand the problem of migration from a more
broad and comprehensive perspective.
Acuña reiterated that the
bilateral relationship between Mexico and the U.S. should be based on, "cooperation,
responsibility and mutual respect," and said that "unilateral
measures that violate individual rights don't contribute to strengthening relations
between the two nations, nor do they serve to properly address the issue of
migration."
The statement exhorts the Foreign Affairs Ministry to make
use of every opportunity to conduct a diplomatic dialogue in addition to utilizing
every bilateral and multilateral instrument and mechanism to protect the rights
and integrity of those Mexican migrants who may be affected by the application
this legislation.
Lawmakers also reiterated their
unconditional respect for the sovereignty of other nations to issue their own
laws, but, "at the same time confirm our unwavering commitment to the
defense of already-conquered individual liberties, and therefore to avoid setbacks
in previous struggles to secure equality, freedom, and civil and human rights,
which have been codified by international legal instruments."
The statement recalled that over
recent days, Arizona passed bill SB-1070, empowering
Arizona authorities to detain anyone suspected of being an immigrant without
documentation.
Therefore, Speaker Acuna said
the Chamber of Deputies, "acknowledges and accepts that the bilateral
relationship between Mexico and the U.S. must be based on a continuous process
of political dialogue that recognizes asymmetries and economic and social
differences between the two nations as the most appropriate way of addressing problems
on our common agenda. In order to consider adequately the diverse and complex
economic, social and cultural realities that gives rise to the fundamental contributions
of Mexican migrants to the society of the American Union, the phenomenon of
migration should be addressed from a broad and comprehensive perspective."
He reiterated that bilateral
relations between Mexico and the U.S. should be based on "cooperation, responsibility
and mutual respect, and said that unilateral measures which violate individual
rights do not contribute to a strengthening of relations, nor do they, "adequately
address the phenomenon of migration."
The Chamber of Deputies also recognized
the commitment demonstrated by U.S. President Obama against the imposition of
this law, in the interest of promoting comprehensive immigration reform based
on principles of responsibility and accountability that don't jeopardize the basic
notions of justice appreciated by the people of the United States.
