The Anti-Defamation League and the Government of Mexico have filed separate lawsuits against the State of Arizona over it's new immigration law which will take affect July 29. Lawyers representing Mexico filled a brief supporting the law suit which was brought of by the ACLU which they are taking to Federal Court claiming that the law violates the US Constitution. The document put out by the Government of Mexico states that the law threatens "the human and civil rights of its citizens when they are present in Arizona." Mexican President Felipe Calderon has condemned the bill stating it "opens the door to intolerance, hate, discrimination and abuse in law enforcement."
While the Government of Mexico is outraged about Arizona its own immigration laws are far harsher than Arizona's. While Arizona's calls for the arrest and deportation of illegal immigrants under Mexican Law entering the country illegally is punishable by up to two years in prison and an attempted re-entry by up to 10 years. Those who violate their visas can be sentenced to up to six years and the government of Mexico has the authority to arrest foreigners whom it deems as a threat to its national and economic interest.
Several Congressman have taken up Mexico's Government on its blatant hypocrisy. Referring to Mexico's President's opposition of the Arizona Bill Rep. Steve King of Iowa said "why would Mr. Calderon have any objections to an Arizona law that is less draconian than his own, one he has pledged to enforce?" Rep. Ted Poe of Texas stated in a speech on the House Floor titled "Is President Calderon Hypocritical" that "Mexico has long been doing the job of illegal alien deportation, and it seems to me it's hypocritical of Mexico and President Calderon to criticize the United States or Arizona for enforcing our illegal immigration laws. They are far less severe than Mexico's illegal immigration laws. So when President Calderon comes here tomorrow to complain about America and America's illegal immigration policy, perhaps Calderon would prefer America adopt Mexico's immigration policies."
While the Nation of Israel has not interfered with Arizona immigration stance many of major organization that represent Israel's interest in the United States such as the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, and Simon Wiesenthal Center have also joined Mexico in denouncing the bill. The ADL has gone as far to file a lawsuit against Arizona.
In a joint statement ADL Arizona's regional chair Miriam Weisman and regional director Bill Straus stated "rather than making Arizona more secure, we believe this law will have the opposite effect. Fear of heightened law enforcement scrutiny about immigration status will deter victims and witnesses from coming forward and cooperating with the police, making it significantly more difficult for police to do their jobs. We understand that secure borders are a legitimate concern, but SB 1070 does not effectively address that concern. Rather, this bill drives a wedge between the Latino community - whose members are frequent targets of bias-motivated violence - and those local law enforcement agencies entrusted with protecting them. The bill is a manifestation of anger and frustration, fueled by exaggerated fears of violence and passed against a backdrop of increasing xenophobia. It is ill-conceived, misguided, and should not be implemented.
Much like Mexico Israel also has taken a harsh stance in regards to illegal immigration. In an article titled "Focus U.S.A. / Reminders of Israel in the Arizona immigration debate" in the Israeli Newspaper Haaretz Natasha Mozgovaya states that "As the debate stirred by the new Arizona immigration law remains heated, it's hard for those who remember the years of the "hunt" for foreign workers at the Old Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv not to see the similarity." She points out that "In the U.S., some representatives of the Jewish community have plunged vigorously into the current debate." She mentions that The Anti-Defamation League's Abraham Foxman told Haaretz: "Well, in terms of size and dimension Israel is nowhere near the U.S." She responds that In the United States, there are about 11 million illegal immigrants. Some communities are much better organized than the foreign workers in Israel, and the immigration policy based upon the law of return doesn't provide Israel much space or willingness to absorb them legally."