Fox Criticizes House Bill

Mexican President Vicente Fox criticized theSensenbrenner legislation’s provision that provides for building a fence along theborder, saying it was a “shameful” initiative for a democracy.

Fox said barriers between nations belonged to the last century and had beentorn down by popular uprisings, referring to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.

Passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a 239-182 margin, the Sensenbrener immigration enforcement bill includes a proposal to build 700 miles of fence through parts of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Under the bill, soldiers and police would help stop individuals crossing the broder surreptitiously.

Fox said the measures were hypocritical for a country made up of immigrants.

Source: Associated Press, Dec. 18, 2005
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