Wolf Blitzer Puts President Calderón On The Defensive Over Mexico’s Immigration Laws

video

by Frances Martel | 3:33 pm, May 20th, 2010

» 22 comments

After appearing before Congress and attacking Arizona’s new illegal immigration law, Mexican president Felipe Calderón appeared on CNN to talk shop with Wolf Blitzer. Blitzer, rather surprisingly, turned the tables on the president, opting to ask him instead about his country’s immigration laws, and whether they were just as strict (if not stricter) than Arizona’s. Calderón admitted that laws were stringent in the past but clarified that it is currently not illegal to be undocumented in Mexico.

Citing a Washington Times article explaining Mexican immigration laws that incriminated those who willfully participated in illegal immigration or helped illegal immigrants, Blitzer asked President Calderón to contrast those laws with Arizona’s. Calderón replied that, while the Times assessment used to be true, it is no longer, and immigration cannot be illegal in Mexico. “Of course, on the border, we are asking people ‘Who are you?’” explained Calderón, and “Once they are inside the country, what the Mexican police do is, of course, enforce the law, but any means immigration is a crime anymore in Mexico… if someone does that, we find them and sending [sic] them back.”

In response to that, Blitzer noted that many in the US do not know that Mexico does not criminalize illegal immigration, and reference the older, harsher laws to argue that border states are only trying to do what Mexico does in its lower half, as well. Calderón accepted the criticism, and said he took it into account when discussing immigration laws:

That is a very powerful argument, but that is one of the reasons why we are trying to change our policies. And let me be frank, Wolf. In the past, Mexican authorities were, in an unfortunate way, in the treatment for immigrants. But we are changing the policies, we changed already the law, and that is different today. We are trying to write a new story, talking about immigrants, especially coming from Central American countries.

The interview segment below:
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Arizona immigration law, CNN, Felipe Calderón, illegal immigration, Mexico, Situation Room, Wolf Blitzer

writer

Glad to hear Calderon is easing up on all those millions of people trying to sneak into Mexico.
TylerDurden

He is dancing!!!! Hahahaha

What a hypocrite!

He sends them back!!!!
http://gordonbloyershow.com gordonbloyershow

He is lying.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

Calderon has a lot of damn nerve coming over here and lecturing us about trying to keep HIS people from flooding into our country illegally. It’s absolutely stunning. He should focus on that broken down narco state he calls home and let us handle our own affairs.
writer

Calderon wants the money his ‘visiting’ countrymen are sending back across the border. No way he wants that to stop.
notsofast

Barry supports him because Barry cannot provide his own papers.
TfT

Calderon gets a standing O from the dems in congress for trashing AZ. Unbelievable. Who are these congressmen who hate their own country so much? I wonder if Blitzer will criticize the dems for supporting Calderon’s trashing of the US.
notsofast

Felipe Cadleron – keep your drug thugs and drugs in Mexico.

And great job liberals. Applauding a foreign leader who attacks your country or should I say, my country.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Craig-Alexander/1046866563 Craig Alexander

I think this is a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black! Calderon wants to slam AZ for the new imigration law yet Mexico deports more people a year then the United States does. I hope more states get tougher on imigration reform and maybe we can find leaders with a backbone to send then illegal ones back!
ImNotBlue

“Um… no, we don’t do that. Sure, the law is still out there… but, uh… we don’t really… um… do that *do we?*. We’re trying to get rid of that law, but it’s very difficult. First you have to climb to the top of this big hill… and then the law is on a stone… and you have wrestle the giant at the top… so it’s tough.”

What a joke. You’ve got the law… and until you actually repeal it… it’s THE LAW! I say we just propose to institute the Mexico law in America. See what Mr. Calderon has to say about that.
artistlps

1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools. * * * * * * * *
2. All ballots will be in this nation’s language. * * * * * * * *
3. All government business will be conducted in our language. * * * * * * *
4. Non-residents will NOT have the right to vote no matter how long they are here. * * * * * * * *
5. Non-citizens will NEVER be able to hold political office. * * * * * * * *
6. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, or other government assistance programs. Any burden will be deported. * * * * * * * *
7. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount at least equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage. * * * * * * * *
8. If foreigners come here and buy land… options will be restricted. Certain parcels including waterfront property are reserved for citizens naturally born into this country. * * * * * * * *
9. Foreigners may have no protests; no demonstrations, no waving of a foreign flag, no political organizing, no bad-mouthing our president or his policies. These will lead to deportation. * * * * * * * *
10. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be actively hunted &, when caught, sent to jail until your deportation can be arranged. All assets will be taken from you. * * * * * * * * *
Too strict? The above laws are current immigration laws of MEXICO !
Ination

Who are the people on the left who were standing? Isn’t that the Republican/Patriot side?
notsofast

National poll on Arizona immigration law echoes Utah’s results

By Margaret Talev

McClatchy Newspapers
Published: Thursday, May 13, 2010 1:18 a.m. MDT

WASHINGTON — Utahns appear to be in line with a strong majority of Americans who support Arizona’s controversial new immigration law and would back similar laws in their own states, a new McClatchy-Ipsos poll found.

Sixty-one percent of Americans — and 64 percent of registered voters — said they favored the law in a survey of 1,016 adults conducted May 6-9.

Strikingly, nearly half of Democrats like the law, under which local law enforcement officers are tasked with verifying people’s immigration status if they suspect them of being in the country illegally. While the Democratic Party generally is regarded as more sympathetic to illegal immigrants’ plights, 46 percent of Democrats said they favored the law for Arizona and 49 percent said they’d favor the law’s passage in their own states.
notsofast

Ination says:
May 20, 2010 at 5:06 pm

Who are the people on the left who were standing? Isn’t that the Republican/Patriot side?”

You must be new because you sure are dumb. There was no such video.

It was VP Biden and Speaker Pelosi behind this ahole who were applauding- Democrat libs, like your sorry ass!
Glenn.Bovine.Merrill

OK wingnutz, make a line and bend over, er, show me your papers.

You can moan and bleat until your mothers come home, and the racist Arizona law will NOT BE ENFORCED.
Moderate

Gov. Napolitano Feb 2007
Illegal immigration is a hot-button issue, finally. Nowhere else is this more a problem than in Arizona, and Governor Janet Napolitano is fed up. She’s pretty much on her knees now and begging Congress to stop
pussyfooting around and start implementing realistic goals.

We’ve heard too much talk about border security and not enough action. All of America is waiting – and time is running out.” Gov. Napolitano said in a speech at the National Press Club.
Newsjunky

If I wanted to be undocumented somewhere, Mexico is one of the last places that would be on my list. Who in their right mind would WANT to be there if they weren’t forced to due to family issues? Yuck.
writer

The polls indicate the majority of the country is for Arizona’s law, yet the dems stand up and applaud Calderon, whose country hypocritically tosses out anyone entering there illegally. Hopefully people will remember that standing ovation this November.
AmericanCowboy

Support “Legal Only” Immigration. Let’s welcome legal immigrants with a hand of friendship. Let’s put the illegals immigrants in the back of the line.

Shame on the Politian that wants to let these law breakers in the front of the line. In front of those who are doing the right thing. Shame on the Politian who does not protect our borders against illegal border entry. Some of which are murders, drugs dealers and possible terrorists. These Politian’s must be voted out of office. Yes, John McCain, you are in that group that must go. It is too late to redeem yourself now that the polls show border enforcement is popular. You showed your true colors when you drafted a crap immigration bill with Dead Kennedy. Bye bye!!!

Liberial as always are on the wrong side on immigration. Liberals make poor choices and bad decisions. It is a compete inability to differentiate right from wrong. Liberals lack character and common sense. It is truly sad. In addition, Liberals are foolish, unethical, immoral, corrupt and dishonest,

Liberials please explain why illegals should get to cut in line in front of those who are trying to enter the U.S.A. legally?
AmericanCowboy

Vote out the Dems

F Obama
http://www.tnta.us lena

Lool lool look http://www.tnta.us/
kit9

So they pick up non residents and send them back? That’s exactly what the Az. law does. Did Wolf not mention this tiny fact?