Bitter Debate over Immigration at U.S.-Mexico Meeting

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Media-Interparliamentary

Campeche, Mexico, June 12. – The 49th US-Mexico Interparliamentary Meeting had tense moments today, when California Republican Representative Brian Bilbray disparagingly referred to Mexico as "the backyard patio" warned that his party will not let immigration reform pass.

"Migration is a privilege, not a right. My family came from the other side of the Atlantic, not by way of a land border," he let fly.

The phrase, according to deputies and senators, led to criticism by lawmakers from the PRI and PT, as well as a distancing of the House Democrats present, who also repudiated the implementation of Arizona's SB-1070 Law that criminalizes illegal migration.

PT Deputy Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said that if both countries fail to reach an agreement on the subject the bilateral relationship is rotten.

In the private afternoon meeting, titled "Migration and Well-being, situation of migrant communities in the United States," Bilbray (who voted in favor of building the border fence and has said that an illegal immigrant can be identified by the clothes he/she wears) defended the application of the Arizona law with the argument that it will not cause racial discrimination.



Read more: http://www.mexidata.info/id2704.html

[Chulanowa]

1. How does that even make sense?

"Migration is a privilege, not a right. My family came from the other side of the Atlantic, not by way of a land border,"

Say what?