MEXICO CITY, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) — Mexico on Wednesday slammed the latest anti-immigrant measures passed by the legislature of the U.S. state of Texas, saying they aimed to curb the flow of migrants by criminalizing them.
The bills passed by the Texas state legislature with the goal of criminalizing migrants “will result in the separation of families, discrimination and racial profiling,” the Mexican Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
“Mexico recognizes the sovereign right of any country to decide the public policies that should be implemented in its territory. However, it respectfully expresses its legitimate right to protect the rights of its nationals in the United States, as well as to establish its own public policies for detention in its territory,” the ministry stressed.
The Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday approved bills SB3 and SB4, related, respectively, to building a border wall and granting law enforcement the power to detain undocumented migrants, as well as order judges to deport such migrants to Mexico, news reports said.
“Mexico recognizes the importance of a uniform and consistent policy on immigration matters,” the ministry said.
“Consequently, it supports joint work with the United States Federal Government to ensure that migration occurs in an orderly, safe, regular manner and with respect for the human rights of people in situations of mobility,” it added.
The measures will affect the human rights of the more than 10 million people of Mexican origin who reside in Texas, by fostering hostile environments that can lead to hate acts or crimes against the migrant communities, the ministry said.
The Mexican government will maintain its commitment to the protection of the rights of Mexican people who are abroad and will respond to any violation by authorities to safeguard their human rights, the ministry said.
