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MEXICO CITY — Recent comments comparing illegal immigrants to prostitutes and drug dealers first inflamed the local Latino community, and now the anger has spilled into Mexico.

Mexican politicians and residents are calling Mecklenburg County, N.C., commissioner Bill James' statements — printed Friday in one of Mexico City's leading newspapers — an example of growing hostility against Latinos in the United States.

James, a Republican, made the comments during an April 15 commissioners meeting while discussing government contracts and whether illegal immigrants pay taxes. Near the end of the talk, Commissioner Norman Mitchell, a Democrat, referred to a recent Charlotte Observer article that mentioned that illegal immigrants paid taxes. James interjected that prostitutes and drug dealers also pay taxes. "Al Capone paid taxes," he said.

James said Thursday his comments were meant to show that immigrants, prostitutes and drug dealers all engage in illegal activity.

"You're breaking the law. You need to get right with the law," James said. "It doesn't have anything to do with whether your hair is blond, brown or black. It doesn't matter what your skin color is, your eyes, whatever."

The controversy over James' comments reached Mexico at a time of growing concern about anti-immigrant feelings damaging U.S.-Mexico relations.

José Jacques Medina, a member of Mexico's lower house of Congress, said this is not the first time he has heard about James. He also said he's aware of the commissioner's proposals to deny county services to undocumented immigrants.

"This is just racism, comparing us to prostitutes and narcotraffickers, in order win votes," said Jacques Medina, secretary of the commission on Population, Border and Migratory Affairs.

Oscar Avila, a 19-year-old pen salesman in Mexico City, struggled to understand James' feelings.

He said he's aware of opposition to undocumented workers in the United States but said he had never heard such "strong" comments that compare an entire community to criminals.

"He's just discriminating against the people," said Avila. "He's calling people, who are just trying to make a better life for themselves, narcotraffickers. That's not right."

The controversy also took hold this week in Charlotte's Latino community, with German De Castro, chair of the Hispanic Democrats of Mecklenburg County, demanding that James apologize.

"Why would I owe someone an apology for telling the truth?" James responded. "I think that America needs to get a backbone. We have become a country of wimps. I'm not going to apologize for stating the truth. Period."