Changing Immigration Attitude

Mexico loses more than just workers when its people cross the U.S. border illegally in search of jobs. It loses fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, sisters and brothers. It loses social structure.

The remittances expatriates send home can never compensate for the loss of people whose energy, talents and integrity are essential to Mexico's future.

Remittances - nearly $24 billion in 2007, according to the Mexico's Central Bank - help individual families but have a corrosive effect on Mexico. Without them, political pressure would build at home to create jobs.Without the relief valve illegal migration offers for Mexico's unemployed, there would be enormous demand to deal with the corruption and lack of opportunity in Mexico.

Mexico is showing a welcome recognition of the downside of illegal immigration.

Earlier this year, Mexican President Felipe Calderón called it his "duty" to create opportunities at home. "I'm not a president who likes to see Mexicans leave the country, because every immigrant who leaves Mexico represents a loss," he said in February.

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Importance: Stimulating job growth at home and discouraging illegal immigration will help build and strengthen the Mexican economy. Before the government was actually encouraging illegal immigration by handing out booklets that gave safety tips; now that they realize the detrimental effects immigration is having on the economy they are beginning to change their mind, now printing booklets depicting the hardships and danger of attempting illegal immigration.

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Mexico Anti-anti Immigration

Mexican President Felipe Calderón on Monday decried anti-immigrant perceptions in the United States and argued that Mexican immigrants complement American workers.

On his first trip to the U.S. as Mexico's president, Calderón said he is working to combat anti-Americanism in Mexico and to improve job prospects there to reduce migration. He said he hopes that Americans resist anti-Mexican sentiments.

“The worst thing that happened in this country is this anti-Mexican or anti-immigrant perception of people. We need to contain this,” Calderón said after a speech at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

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Importance: While the U.S. is building fences Mexico tries to build bridges. The way Calderon talks it sounds like he really wants to blend the two economies.

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Turf Wars Continue

Juan Carlos Reyna had been driving a Jeep Liberty through Cancun's wealthiest neighborhood on a sweltering December afternoon when he was surrounded by three cars. A masked man bearing a Kalashnikov rifle leaned out of the car in front of him and shot Reyna in the head. Against all odds, the Cuban-American survived and was airlifted from Mexico's Caribbean resort to a U.S. hospital, where he is fighting for his life.

Others have been less fortunate. Since June, at least four Cuban-Americans, including Reyna's brother Maximiliano, have been shot dead on Cancun's glitzy boulevards in gangland-style hits. Mexican officials allege that these killings, and those of at least five Mexicans, stem from what they say is a turf war over lucrative human smuggling routes of Cubans via Mexico to the United States.

The blood being spilled in broad daylight in Mexico's most popular international tourist spot has raised the pressure on a police force already struggling against heavily armed drug cartels.

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Importance: This article shows that the U.S. may have immigration problems but, Mexico also has a severe problem. It will be interesting to see how how the two governments handle the situation.

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