Mexico blasts new Florida immigration law; vows to help migrants

Migrants seeking asylum in the U.S., gather at the Paso Del Norte international bridge between Mexico and the United States, after the lifting of COVID-19 era Title 42 restrictions that have blocked migrants at the border from seeking asylum since 2020, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico May 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's government on Saturday slammed a tough new state immigration law in Florida spearheaded by Republican Governor and U.S. presidential contender Ron DeSantis, and the country vowed to help protect undocumented Mexicans in that state.

DeSantis is seeking the 2024 Republican nomination for president, and his new Florida law, which took effect on Saturday, is seen as a preview of the kind of hardline policies he would seek on immigration enforcement.