| | |  News Around the Republic of Mexico | July 2008 
Mexico Will No Longer Jail Illegal Immigrants
 Associated Press
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| | A soldiers guards packages of marijuana at a military base in Tijuana July 18, 2008. Mexican soldiers discovered on Thursday 12 tonnes of marijuana in trucks at Mexico's border with California, police said. (Reuters/Jorge Duenes) | | |
Mexico City — Mexico will no longer jail illegal immigrants detained within its borders.
A measure that takes effect Tuesday eliminates jail times for illegal immigrants caught in Mexico. Most are crossing the country from Central America en route to the U.S.
Undocumented immigration will now be considered a minor offense, punishable by fines equal to US$500 to US$2,400. Illegal immigrants previously faced up to 10 years in prison, though most were simply deported.
Mexican legislators who backed the revision say Mexico's previous penalties complicated efforts to lobby for better treatment of Mexican immigrants in the U.S.
Activists want more to be done to protect migrants in Mexico, where many are robbed and abused on their way north. |
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