After criticizing Arizona's new immigration law at a press conference this morning upon arriving at the White House, Mexican President Felipe Calderon offered more critique at a joint appearance with President Obama early this afternoon, calling the law "discriminatory."
Calderon said, in Spanish and as translated as he spoke by MSNBC's translator:
In Mexico, we are and continue to be respectful to the policies of the United States...but we will retain our firm rejection to criminalizing migration so that people that work and provide things to this nation will be treated as criminals, and we oppose firmly the SB1070 Arizona law, given in fair principle that are partial and discriminatory...
There's a big list of things for Obama and Calderon to talk about. Trade, Mexico's drug war, drug trafficking to the U.S., immigration, and, probably the oil spill (though Obama and Calderon haven't mentioned this last part at their joint appearance yet). But Calderon has clearly made the Arizona law a big part--the biggest part, perhaps--of what he wants to discuss with Obama on his visit.
In fact, both questions asked by Mexican press concerned the Arizona law. Obama's response: that Congress needs to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Calderon will address Congress tomorrow. If today was any indication, it seems likely Calderon will mention the Arizona law during that appearance. Since Obama has already passed the buck, to some extent, to congressional Republicans, it would only be logical for Calderon to use that opportunity to urge Congress to pass comprehensive reform.