MEXICO CITY 鈥� Mexico鈥檚 president called on U.S. citizens Monday not to vote for Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis because of his state鈥檚 enactment of a tough immigration bill.
The comments about the Florida law, which the Mexican government has said is likely to cause discrimination against migrants, marks President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador's second recent break with Mexico's tradition of non-intervention in the politics of other countries. In March, he called Peru鈥檚 government racist and illegitimate.
鈥淲e could not remain silent,鈥� L贸pez Obrador said of the Florida law at news conference Monday.
Under the Florida law that went into effect July 1, employers who hire immigrants who are in the country illegally will face tough punishments. It also bolsters DeSantis鈥� migrant relocation program and limits social services for immigrants lacking permanent legal status.
READ MORE: A new law will affect how some immigrants in Florida access work and medical care
L贸pez Obrador called for 鈥渘ot one vote for those who despise migrants.鈥�
The legislation DeSantis signed into law last month expands requirements for businesses with more than 25 staffers to use E-Verify, a federal system that determines if employees can legally work in the U.S.
Another provision requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.
In a statement Saturday, Mexico鈥檚 Foreign Relations Department said the Florida law 鈥渨ill affect the human rights of thousands of people, Mexican girls and boys, exacerbating hostile situations that could result in hate crimes against the migrant community.鈥�
