MEXICO WELCOMES THE PERMANENT BAR TO PORTIONS OF INDIANA SEA 590

On behalf of the Mexican government, the Foreign Ministry welcomes the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (United States) to permanently block some of the provisions of Indiana Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 590.

If they had entered into force, the sections in question could have led to the selective application of the law and affected the civil rights of Mexican citizens in Indiana.

The sections would also have barred the use of consular identity cards as proof of identity. The consular ID cards are issued by the Mexican government, have high safety standards and are based on the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, to which 173 countries are parties, including Mexico and the United States.

In June 2011, the Mexican government filed an Amicus (Friend of the Court) brief with the court. The governments of Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador and Guatemala joined the brief. Today’s decision sets a positive precedent by providing greater certainty about how to apply the legal framework to consular and federal immigration policy in the United States.

The Mexican government will continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard the rights of Mexicans, regardless of their immigration status.