Mexico awards highest honor to Sen. Kennedy

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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico has awarded Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy the country's highest honor for his work defending the rights of immigrants during his decades in Congress.

The Mexican government said in its official gazette it presented the "Aztec Eagle" honor to Kennedy in Washington on Friday.

"He has denounced injustices suffered by immigrants," and "promoted initiatives to promote full political participation and increased access to health and education services for the Mexican-American community," the official announcement said.

The veteran Massachusetts senator fought for an immigration reform bill in Congress that failed to pass last year.

Reuters