In response to the perceived failure of the Biden administration to address the ongoing border crisis, several states have taken matters into their own hands by passing legislation that gives their law enforcement officials the means to tackle the issue. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed into law Senate Bill 4 (SB4), which makes it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry and allows local and state officers to engage in immigration enforcement. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, also a Republican, is considering legislation that would give local and state law enforcement the ability to arrest those they suspect of being in the U.S. illegally.
However, the Mexican government has become intimately involved in opposing these bills, continuing a growing trend in Mexican President Andre Manuel Lopez Obrador’s administration of attempting to intervene in American politics. Mexican officials argue that undocumented migrants are not criminals and that criminalizing them will not solve the issue of illegal immigration. They also believe that these laws are discriminatory and unfair.
In Oklahoma, the Mexican government has been actively lobbying against the proposed legislation. Edurne Pineda, the top Mexican diplomat in Oklahoma City, has met directly with Gov. Stitt and Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall to voice her opposition to the bill. In Texas, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Bárcena has voiced strong opposition to SB4, saying publicly that her government is “very concerned” should the courts allow it to be implemented. Bárcena has also met with every Mexican consular office in Texas as part of a campaign to oppose SB4.
The Mexican government’s opposition to these bills is not limited to public statements. In March, the government filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals, arguing that SB4 “negatively impacts” Mexican communities and the bilateral relationship with the U.S. The brief also argues that the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory.
This is not the first time that the Lopez Obrador government has assumed direct opposition to hardline immigration proposals. In May 2023, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an immigration bill that made it a crime to knowingly transport illegal aliens into the state and required hospitals to obtain patients’ immigration status, among other provisions. In response, Lopez Obrador called on U.S. citizens not to vote for DeSantis, then a Republican presidential candidate.
The Mexican government’s opposition to these state-level immigration measures is likely to continue. The government believes that these laws are unfair, discriminatory, and will not solve the issue of illegal immigration. It is also concerned about the impact these laws will have on Mexican communities in the United States.
The Mexican embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
