Mexico will appeal U.S. Supreme Court ruling to human rights tribunal
Thu Apr 18,10:13 PM ET

MEXICO CITY - Mexico said late Thursday that it will appeal a recent U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites) ruling regarding immigrants working illegally in the United States to the Interamerican Court of Human Rights.

In a 5-4 ruling last month, the Supreme Court found that immigrants working illegally in the United States do not have the same rights to restitution as Americans who are mistreated on the job.

Interior Minister Santiago Creel said Mexico would look to the Costa Rica-based human rights court to condemn the ruling.

"The borders are only territorial boundaries and should in no way attack or limit the human rights every person is entitled to," Creel said in a Thursday speech. He added that America's highest court left Mexico with no other way to guarantee the safety of the 3.5 million Mexicans working illegally in the United States.

Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, the Mexican Embassy in Washington said that it was "seriously worried" that the ruling "could create situations of abuse and exploitation" and "leave a great number of undocumented Mexicans feeling marginalized and defenseless."

But, in recent weeks, the government of President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) had drawn sharp criticism from opposition legislators who claimed the president was afraid that more sharply criticizing the court's ruling would jeopardize his administration's warm relationship with the United States.

Creel said that an appeal to the Interamerican court was the next logical way for Mexico to express its discontent with the ruling.