Unlikely Allies Protest Treatment of Immigrants in Mexico
March 20th, 2007 @ 7:25am by Kevin Tripp/KTAR

There are unlikely allies in the immigration debate. The Minutemen president agrees with activists from Central and South America.

Both groups say Mexican authorities often abuse immigrants.

Chris Simcox with the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps wants President Bush to put pressure on Mexico's new president.

"The president should have been chastizing and holding the president of Mexico accountable for ending the human rights violations of immigrations, illegal or otherwise, that enter their country," says Simcox.

He's calling on President Felipe Calderon to stop the abuses. "It's a culture of corruption in Mexico and I think the president has a moral obligation to clean up the corruption."

Simcox says that is the root of the problem. "Mexico has the most militarized border in this hemisphere - their border with Guatemala."

"However, the graft and corruption, I guess, promote the exploitation of human beings."

Both groups say immigrants to Mexico are often subject to rape, extortion and kidnapping.


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