Mexican President Felipe Calderon denounced Arizona's tough new immigration law as he began a state visit to Washington on Wednesday, putting the contentious issue firmly at the top of trip's agenda. US President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greeted Calderon and his wife, Margarita Zavala, at the White House at the start of the two-day visit, in which Calderon and Obama will meet and attend a state dinner and Calderon will address a joint session of the US Congress.
-- Mexico is most complex US relationship, official says
-- Drug violence and trade also on agenda
Standing by Obama, Calderon said that despite their "enormous contribution to the economy and society of the United States" millions of immigrants "live in the shadows, and at times, as in Arizona, confront patterns of discrimination." Obama and Calderon will juggle hot-button issues like immigration and drug violence with the pomp and ceremony of the state visit, only the second of Obama's presidency.
The two countries, whose trade surpasses $1 billion a day, broadly agree on issues like the global economy and climate change. There are millions of Mexican-Americans and Mexicans living in the United States and many Americans travel to and live in Mexico. "The United States and Mexico are not simply neighbours bound by geography and history, we are by choice friends and partners," Obama said.
But there are tensions over immigration, especially after the passage of Arizona law, as well as border security, drug violence and trade. Analysts do not expect major new initiatives and instead will be watching to see how the leaders address difficult issues without upsetting their audiences at home.
"I think if the US is saying we endorse what Calderon is doing, we support what he is doing to fight crime, to support the economy, those are all probably good things from his perspective," said Eric Olson, a senior advisor at the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute in Washington.
Obama is hugely popular in Mexico. The Arizona law, which comes into force in July, requires police in the border state to check the immigration status of anyone they suspect is in the United States illegally. Opponents say the measure encourages racial discrimination and Obama has condemned it. His administration has threatened to sue and said the issue underscores the need for a major immigration policy overhaul. Calderon had told Reuters he would bring it up in Washington.
But opinion polls show the statute is popular with Americans and other states have expressed interest in passing similar laws. "Not only does it create domestic problems but it creates more friction with Mexico and yet it's a delicate political issue going into an election," Olson said. Obama's fellow Democrats are fighting to keep their majorities in Congress in midterm elections in November. "My gut feeling is that Calderon will be the only one to refer to (the Arizona law) in any specific way," Olson said.
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