Mexico's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued an advisory to Mexicans living and working in Arizona following the signing of a controversial law to stem illegal immigration in that state.
In Arizona "there is a negative political environment for migrant communities and for all Mexican visitors," the advisory states.
The new law requires Arizona police to determine whether people are in the United States legally if there is a reason to suspect they aren't.
Although the new law doesn't go into effect until 90 days after the close of the state's legislative session, the Mexican government advised its citizens in Arizona to begin carrying all immigration documents with them immediately "to avoid needless confrontations."
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, a Republican, signed the controversial legislation into law Friday. Supporters say it is needed to control illegal immigration.
The advisory points Mexicans in Arizona to the state's five Mexican consulates for legal advice if they feel they have been subjected to abuse by authorities.
"As long as no clear criteria are defined for when, where and who the authorities will inspect, it must be assumed that every Mexican citizen may be harassed and questioned without further cause at any time," the advisory states.
Also TO JAIME, RE RACIAL PROFILING. I am white skinned north american and while working abroad, I would occassionally visit my family in Canada 2 times per year. For 6 out of the 8 return visits to Canada I was regularly searched and detained for approx 30 mins, while they searched my belongings and computer and carry on. It turns out that I fit a pattern based on my age, marital status and the fact that I was at the time working in a developping nation. You learn to take it in stride and let the officers do their work. Eventually they came to recognize me and this ceased, but I accept it as part of life and living in a country where they are trying to protect all its citizens. Bottom line it doesn't just happen to latino and hispanics it happens to others (inclusing white skinned perople) and it happened to me 6 x in 3 years.
If I were the president of mexico I would send the whole country into arizona illegally and overwhelm the system. Lets see how the nazis deal with that. What are you going to do? Take every illegal out and shoot them?
The police is looking for illegal aliens. If there is reasonable suspicion that a person is residing illegally in the USA, then the police will ask the person for papers/documents. If the police is good at judging reasonable suspicion, it should be a 100% hit and no miss. This means that if the police asked 100 people for papers, all 100 people should be illegal immigrants. If the police asked 100 people for papers and only 20 of them are illegal immigrants, then the police is NOT doing a good job of judging reasonable suspicion of being illegal aliens. All the police is doing is enforcing the immigration law without infringing on the freedom of the people. The police might even do a lot of undercover DETECTIVE work to solidify their reasonable suspicion of illegal entry or residency in the USA. There is NOTHING SPECIAL about this law. It is almost the same as police doing undercover work to catch a person dealing drugs. The police will NEVER base their reasonable suspicion based on physical appearance. If you are brown and picking strawberries in a field, that is not enough evidence to reasonably suspect that the person is an illegal alien.
People should be able to walk freely in the streets without being searched for papers. If not, then that is a violation of the 4th amendment. The police must make LAWFUL CONTACT with you. It is UNLAWFUL contact if the police approaches you and searches for papers without reasonable suspicion.
This law concerns me. I’m a US citizen, I was born here in the United States but I’m Latin descendant and therefore I look Latin. What happens if I get stopped because of the way I look and the police thinks I’m here illegally? I don’t carry my birth certificate with me. Who does? Will I get detained until someone can go get my birth certificate/passport for me? This is ridiculous! What a shame.
I'm really tired of people saying that it's rasict to want illegal immigration to stop! It's not a "Hate" issue.
It's not racism, It's a FAIRNESS issue.
If you were a Korean, Afghan, Russian, or even Columbian who went through the long process of becoming a legal immigrant, would you appreciate someone who snuck in the backdoor and claimed rights you worked hard to earn?? Heck no! .
Do I want someone who doesn't pay taxes using schools, roads, hospitals, fire services that I had to pay for with my taxes, in effect increasing my tax burden?? Heck No!
If a person of any race doesn't respect our laws enough to follow them, I don't want them here. Period. The only reason some claim that this is "racist" is because hispancis coming from Mexico have an easier time getting here than Asians or Africans, and therefore make up a larger group in southern states.
To expect every other race to give hand-outs, jobs, money, etc to one specific race is the ultimate in racism.
A travel advisory because you might be stopped and asked to produce documents, that could happen to any citizen of the United States at any given time. They make it sound really dangerous like the travel advisories for traveling in Mexico... where you might be stopped by the corrupt police or a drug cartel member and be killed for no reason. It's almost the same thing!! If you don't like it here... GET OUT !!
Arizona was Mexico until the people who wanted to bring slaves into Texas stole it in the Mexican-American war
Spanish is the dominant language
REMEMBER THE ALAMO that is where Davey Crockett and Col. Travis stood up for slavery
Maybe the Mexican goverment should spend some time tring to improve their own country maybe then there citizens wouldnt have to sneak into Arizona. All the people protesting in Arizona holding Mexican flags shouls do that in their country and see what effect it has...Demand your rights in Mexico.
Hey Buzz...I hear she can suck the chrome off a tailer hitch
some wild comments in here, warning Americans in Mexico of being shot by drug lords...really?? you realize comments like that strengthen AZ's case right? The thing i find funny is how many Mexican nationals fight so hard for undeserved rights in this country but when the fight for their own country came around, they tucked it and ran. Cant wait for the law to spread to Texas, you dont come in through someones back door, if you want in this country, respect it and use the front door, unless you have something to hide that is.
STOPPING PEOPLE ON THE STREET FOR LOOKING MEXICAN IS ANTI-AMERICAN
I am Mexican American. My familiy settled Califrnia and New Mexico prior to it being the US. My grandfather had to sell his homestead in NM to the US for $20. Nobody better ask me for id when I am visiting family in Arizona, they will get the tongue lashing of a lifetime!
Who enjoys being pulled over by cops?? illegal or legal, no one likes being harrassed and asked to show ID.
Mike, don't give them ideas....
How is this any different than anyone else in this country? Ever hear the term Vagrant? You can be jailed for simply being homeless... If you are legal and have a valid Driver's License and the cops stop you for a "routine check" you should have no problems. The state of New York has a long history of setting up road blocks to do "routine checks" to make sure 1 – you have a driver's license, proof of registration, proof of insurance and 2 you are not drinking and driving. If you don’t have a license, but are standing outside the local 7-11 waiting for under the table day labor, then guess what – you are guilty of more than just being an illegal alien. I'm sorry, but there is no sympathy here. Try the unemployment/welfare lines... You might find more sympathy there....