Mexican President Felipe Calderon says his government "cannot and will not remain indifferent" in the face of Arizona's new immigration enforcement law, which he says violates human rights. But Mexico itself has "incredibly restrictive" immigration laws.

When Arizona's law goes into effect this summer, law enforcement officers in the state will be required to verify the immigration status of individuals they suspect are in the country illegally. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder quickly criticized the law despite its popularity in Arizona, and a referendum drive and a lawsuit have emerged as potential roadblocks to it.

But Calderon's objection has riled some immigration policy experts, who called his take on the measure misguided given Mexico's policies on unauthorized residents, particularly how the country deals with illegal entry and foreign ownership of property.

"It shows more than anything else that Mexico's restrictive immigration policies have kept that country poor and in conflict for years," said Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration policy analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a Washington-based conservative think tank. "The United States should not try to emulate that."

Before last year, when Mexican immigration law was amended, the penalties for entering Mexico illegally ranged from fines to imprisonment for up to two years, followed by deportation. The law now allows for fines up to 5700 pesos (roughly $470), and a $400 fine for overstaying on a visa.
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And the U.S. State Department warns Americans to exercise "extreme caution" prior to investing in property in Mexico, due to substantially different real estate practices and laws. The Mexican Constitution bans direct ownership by foreigners of real estate within 10 kilometers -- or 6.2 miles -- of any border and within 50 kilometers (31 miles) of any coastline.

"In order to permit foreign investment in these areas, the Mexican government has created a trust mechanism in which a bank has title to the property but a trust beneficiary enjoys the benefits of ownership," the State Department profile on Mexico reads. "However, U.S. citizens are vulnerable to title challenges that may result in years of litigation and possible eviction."

Nowrasteh said those policies hurt Mexico financially and contribute to a system that is not designed to accommodate foreigners.

"Restrictive ownership of property by foreigners restricts foreign investment," he said. "It restricts the movement of entrepreneurs and laborers to Mexico who make the country wealthier. Any person around the world should be able to own property and invest in any economy around the world. It's to everyone's benefit."

Syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin said Mexico's immigration laws are "far more draconian" than those in the United States, adding that Mexican authorities can "exercise any discretion" regarding deportations.

"So it's particularly ironic to see them complaining about America when we allow open borders activists and illegal aliens to march on the streets demanding that we give them more than they certainly do in Mexico," said Malkin, who is a Fox News contributor.

Andrew Selee, director of the Mexico Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, agreed that Calderon's statements regarding Arizona's law are seemingly incongruous given immigration policies in his own country.

"The Mexican government is certainly within its rights to defend its citizens abroad, but they should also remind them of the need to substantially improve immigration laws in Mexico," Selee said. "We would expect the Mexican government to want to protect their citizens living in the United States, but this is a highly public issue. It should certainly also bring about some reflection on how immigration law is applied in Mexico."

Dan Griswold, director of the Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, disagreed, saying Calderon has a right to speak his mind about Arizona's new law.

"The Mexican president has a right to complain about laws he thinks work against Mexican citizens in the United States," he said. "And the Arizona law does raise legitimate questions about discrimination."

Griswold continued, "The Mexican president is an important voice in this discussion. They're an important neighbor, an important trading partner and we have mutual interests."

i dont see how this title is rellevent. it's not mexico's fault america wont enforce its own policy ..and it's not one party's fault either it's been going on since you invaders came here in droves since 1492

its extremely relevant because the open borders nut jobs want us to just let anybody in when the very country the love so much and proudly display and wave the flag of at their rallies has far harsher immigration policies than the U.S. does. As far me being an invader goes, I was born here number one and number two not one human in the AMERICAS is native here. Everyone here today are the descendants of migratory people.

I was born just a few years after that.

I, like the babies of the Illegal, could be considered an Anchor baby.

January 26, 2009
CIA director: Mexican nationals' violence a threat to US.

However, the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano in a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police, stated on January 23 that, "The northern border of the United States has become, since 9/11, important to our national security. As we have designed programs to afford greater protection against unlawful entry, members of Congress and homeland security experts have called for increased attention to the Canadian border.

With the out-of-control crime gangs and government corruption, Mexico is the threat to the American people not Canada. And the current White House and most members of congress are either denying the danger exists or merely ignoring it.

In fact, the new Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano is concentrating on the US-Canadian border.

The southern border of the US is a region particularly vulnerable to cross-border criminal organizations and enterprises and the violence associated with them. In recent years, ICE has witnessed an unprecedented surge in brutality by drug and human smuggling and trafficking organizations along the Southwest border. Below are a few of the initiatives that ICE has launched to combat the criminal organizations behind this activity.

He's right the law will mistreat legitimate Mexican citizens who are here and all the American Mexican citizens and anyone who resembles a Latino.

Calderon is a hypocrite. All Americans and those who look American in Mexico are suspect. And you damn well better have your papers or you will be detained until someone buys your freedom. The cost depends on how rich you look.

I guess you don't know any people who go to Mexico regularly for business and pleasure huh?

When they passed the law that folks are required to have the Passcard or passport to reenter the US, I quit going to Mexico. I just submitted my application for the passcard.

Now, any potential visitor has to have either the passcard or passport to reenter the US. The fine could be a couple grand and/or time in jail for not having it. They can also refuse you reentry to the US if you have neither.

I live 3 miles from the Mexican border and lived in the frontera for almost three years.

I have been detained more than once by the Mexican military and had me and my vehicle searched for contraband. Contraband could consist of only one bullet. One bullet will get you a year in prison.

Papers or no, American citizens have absolutely no rights.

Gee what are you doing to have problems like that? Must be doing something illegal in Mexico like the those Mexicans who come here.

All the people who I know who go to Mexico have no problems and they love it there. And they are white to boot.

I forgot they are black folks too.

Those tourists who stay in the tourist path usually have no problems.

I have friends who live miles from town. The Military routinely sets up roadblocks. They generally only "thoroughly" check those who look like they might have money and most all Americans. They discriminate against Americans.