February 19, 2008

Barack Obama co-chair Maria Elena Durazo met with Mexican president Felipe Calderon (also MALDEF's John Trasvina)

From a MALDEF press release, reposted here:

...Along with Los Angeles Federation of Labor leader Maria Elena Durazo [also a national co-chair of Barack Obama's campaign] and Los Angeles Neighborhood Legal Services Executive Director Yvonne Maria Jimenez, [Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund] President and General Counsel John Trasvina was the only U.S.-based Latino organization lead to be asked to present to President Calderon during his visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday. Trasvina addressed President Calderon, First Lady Margarita Zavala, cabinet ministers, consular officials and community leaders about MALDEF's work challenging local and state anti-immigrant ordinances and our role in protecting the civil and constitutional rights of all Latino immigrants. MALDEF's Sara Zapata Mijares also spoke about the LIDER program and MALDEF's other initiatives to develop leadership, civic engagement and financial literacy skills in the Mexican immigrant community.

Those ordinances are designed to reduce illegal activity, even if some may be legalistically flawed. Note also that MALDEF already had an indirect link to the Mexican government, and in 2005 their former president visited Vicente Fox with Jesse Jackson.

But, the bigger issue is that Barack Obama's co-chair spoke with Calderon, and Obama needs to be asked what they spoke about. Whether she was there just representing the LAFL/AFL-CIO, the fact that she's linked to Obama probably played a part in her being one of the people selected to speak to Calderon.

Trasvina also said:

"The people and governments of Mexico and the United States must come together around shared interests in providing a stable economy, employment, education and opportunity. Our shared ideals will be easier to achieve when Americans see Mexico as an equal partner working toward mutual solutions to the issues that otherwise divide us. The Mexican government's recent efforts and achievements in law enforcement demonstrate the seriousness and sincerity Mexico has toward this partnership..."

Posted to Immigration2008a at February 19, 2008 08:34 PM