Guitar great Carlos Santana was given the Beacon of Change award before the Atlanta Braves’ fifth annual Civil Rights Game Sunday against the Phillies.

The Mexican-American Grammy-winner used the occasion at Turner Field to openly criticize Arizona and Georgia for their tough new immigration laws.

Saying that he represented immigrants, Santana said, “The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Friday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill requiring employers to check the immigration status of new hires and allowing law enforcement officers to check suspects’ immigration status in some cases.

The law, one of the toughest in the nation, is similar to Arizona’s.

“This law is not correct. It’s a cruel law, actually,” Santana, who emigrated to San Francisco from his native Mexico in the 1960s, said after the ceremony.

“This is about fear. Stop shucking and jiving. People are afraid we’re going to steal your job. No, we aren’t. You’re not going to change sheets and clean toilets.”

“This is the United States. This is the land of the free,” he added.

“If people want the immigration laws to keep passing, then everybody should just get out and leave the American Indians here.”

Santana certainly didn’t mince words about this complex and controversial topic. What do you think? Does the singer have a point – or does he miss it?