Barbarous Mexico? An alien concept

On Wednesday, Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), National Action Party (PAN), and Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) Senators said that the fact that the Arizona government passed a law that criminalizes immigration is deplorable. They said that not giving illegal immigrants the rights they deserve and denying them access to public education is also regrettable.

The legislators demanded that the Foreign Affairs Secretariat (SRE) intervene in this situation and make sure that the integrity and respect of illegal immigrants are safeguarded.

(Victor Mayén, The [Mexico City] News)

In Mexico, illegal entry is only a regulatory violation,  but “illegal immigrants” have been horrendous mistreated (especially those just passing though on their way to the United States), so — under the influence of the Arizona legislation —

The Senate unanimously passed the new Immigration Act that recognizes the legal status of migrants. The upper chamber excluded virtually all of Article 26, which empowered the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) to monitor the entry and exit of persons into the country in any form or means of transport, and conduct verification visits to check compliance with the Immigration Act. The initiative turned over to the House of Representatives recognizes that foreigners have the right to education, emergency medical services, civil registration and the administration of justice regardless of their immigration status. In addition, sets of eight to 16 years in prison for so-called “coyotes”, increasing the penalty by up to 50 percent when the accused is a public servant, and the victims are children or adolescents.

It also sets the minimum conditions for migrants, such as avoiding confinement in prisons, preserve the family unit and separating men from women. It also prohibits the verification visits to places of humanitarian assistance to migrants.

(Milenio, 24-02-2012, translation by M3 Report)