Mexican President Filipe Calderon is concerned about the immigration issue in the U.S. There was no doubt that the matter would be discussed when he visited the White House and the discussion has been amicable. Both Obama and Calderon have the same concerns and it is possible that Calderon may help swing some support Obama’s way in the immigration debate.
The subject of immigration and illegal immigrants has been a touchy one, with a large scale overhaul nowhere in sight. President Obama has been lobbying lawmakers for a while now in an effort to bring about sweeping changes to the immigration system. He has been trying to solve border security issues, employment and citizenship in one fell sweep; unfortunately it hasn’t gone his way at all. Compounding the problem is the new law that has been approved by the State of Arizona.
According to that law, police are required to question individuals on their immigration status if they have reason to suspect that the individual may be in the country illegally. The Mexican President feels that the Arizona law is discriminatory. President Obama agrees with him by saying that the law could be applied that way. In order to further clarify matters, he has ordered a Justice Department review of the law.
Calderon is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, where he will make his case for better immigration laws. He is also expected to stress on the importance of economic ties between the two countries. He will be the first foreign national leader to address Congress this year.