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Fox praises Mexican immigrants Adam Tanner / Reuters | May 27 2006 Mexican President Vicente Fox praised Mexican immigrants for pushing Washington on immigration reform on Friday, the last day of a U.S. trip during which he drew Republican barbs over the issue. "We know about their contributions to this economy and to this country. We know about their loyalty to those who they work for," Fox said in a speech. On Thursday, the U.S. Senate backed an immigration bill that would give millions of illegal immigrants a chance to become American citizens. "They fought for it. They earned what they got yesterday," Fox told a California Chamber of Commerce audience. The contentious issue still faces an uncertain outcome in the U.S. House of Representatives. which has passed a very different bill that calls for tough border security and enforcement measures. The fractious debate in the U.S. Congress was reflected in miniature in the reaction to Fox's visit on Thursday to the California capital of Sacramento. A few Republican lawmakers skipped his address to a joint session of legislature to protest Mexico's response to the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States. "I'm going to refuse to listen to what he has to say today," said Republican Assemblywoman Sharon Runner. "His country is not helping." Some Republicans attended but wore lapel pins reading "No Mas!" -- a message to Fox to do more to control their emigration. "Mexico cannot continue to ignore the crisis of illegal immigration into the United States," Republican State Senator Dave Cox said. "I do not believe it fosters a productive discussion when President Fox has stereotyped efforts to control our borders as 'discriminatory,' and called those who oppose illegal immigration 'xenophobic.'" Democratic lawmaker Mark Leno mocked the Republican protests. "You'd think that Fidel Castro was visiting," he said of the Communist Cuban leader. "It's so insulting." ---------------------------------------------------
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