Santana scolds Georgia for new immigration law

By Charles Odum

Associated Press

Published: Sunday, May 15 2011 12:25 p.m. MDT

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Major League Baseball commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Carlos Santa, Morgan Freeman, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron and Billye Aaron pose for a photo following the "MLB Beacon of Change" award at the Major League Baseball Beacon Awards Banquet as a part of MLB's Civil Rights Game Weekend at the Omni Hotel on Saturday, May 14, 2011, in Atlanta.

Paul Abell, Associated Press

Summary

Carlos Santana has used baseball's annual Civil Rights Game as a platform to admonish Georgia and Arizona for their new immigration laws.

ATLANTA — Carlos Santana has used baseball's annual Civil Rights Game as a platform to admonish Georgia and Arizona for their new immigration laws.

Santana received the Beacon of Change Award before Sunday's Braves-Phillies game.

The Grammy-winning musician said he was representing immigrants before adding: "The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves."

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal on Friday signed a bill that cracks down on illegal immigration in the state. The bill requires many employers to check the immigration status of new hires and authorizes law enforcement officers to check the immigration status of some suspects.

Georgia's new law shares some similarities to one enacted last year in Arizona.

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