Mexico City, December 20: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has announced that his government intends to challenge a recently approved law in the US state of Texas. The law allows authorities to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. At a news conference on Tuesday, López Obrador expressed his opposition to such measures, saying the Mexican Foreign Ministry is in the process of legally challenging the law.
The President suggested that Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s anti-immigrant stance, as reflected in the new legislation (Senate Bill 4), is an effort to garner support for his vice-presidential nomination within the Republican Party. López Obrador criticized Abbott as “inhumane” and “cruel” for implementing a law that criminalizes illegal entry or re-entry into the state, punishable by 180 days to 20 years in prison. The state treats crimes with punishment.
The Mexican government estimates that more than 40 million Mexicans live in the United States, making immigration policies and laws affecting Mexican citizens an important and sensitive diplomatic issue between the two countries.
