Carlos Santana Blasts Georgia’s Immigration Laws While Accepting Honor at MLB Game

Carlos Santana was at Atlanta's Turner Field to accept Major League Baseball's Beacon of Change award before the annual Civil Rights Game between the Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies, and the legendary guitarist used the opportunity to condemn Georgia's recently passed immigration bills.

Santana, who was honored along with Hall of Fame baseball player Ernie Banks and actor Morgan Freeman, took the microphone and told the crowd that "the people of Atlanta, Georgia … should be ashamed of themselves" for their part in passing Georgia's immigration bills. These laws have been criticized for being racially insensitive.

During the game, Santana told the media in the press box that Latin workers should stage a boycott in Georgia. "I would invite all Latin people to do nothing for about two weeks so you can see who really, really is running the economy," said Santana. "Who cleans the sheets? Who cleans the toilets? Who babysits?"

"This is the United States, the land of the free," added Santana. "If people want the immigration law to keep passing in every state then everybody should get out and just leave the American Indians here. This is about civil rights."

One of the bills in question, the Georgia House Bill 87, was signed Friday, May 13, by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. The bill lets law enforcement officers examine certain suspects' immigration status and calls for employers to inquire into the immigration status of new hires.

Watch Carlos Santana Blasting the Georgia Immigration Bills at the Civil Rights Game