Illegal Immigration To Mexico
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Illegal immigration in Mexico has occurred at various times throughout history, especially in the 1830s and since the 1970s. Although the number of deportations is declining with 61,034 registered cases in 2011, the Mexican government documented over 200,000 illegal border crossings in 2004 and 2005. The largest source of illegal immigrants in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
are the impoverished
Central American Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Ce ...
countries of
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
,
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, and
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
and
African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
countries like
Democratic Republic of Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
,
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
,
Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
and
Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
. The largest single group of immigrants in Mexico is from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, at 1.5 million, many of whom overstay their visas.


Texas in 19th century

In the 1820s, people from the
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and the
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entered Mexico illegally. Mexico had legal immigration by
empresario An empresario () was a person who had been granted the right to settle on land in exchange for recruiting and taking responsibility for settling the eastern areas of Coahuila y Tejas in the early nineteenth century. The word in Spanish for entre ...
contacts to create a buffer between Mexico and the growing United States. At first, Mexico tried to convince Mexicans to move into Texas. However, Texas was dominated by the warlike
Comanche The Comanche or Nʉmʉnʉʉ ( com, Nʉmʉnʉʉ, "the people") are a Native American tribe from the Southern Plains of the present-day United States. Comanche people today belong to the federally recognized Comanche Nation, headquartered in La ...
Native Americans. Mexican families did not want to move to Texas and risk their families' lives. Mexico then offered cheap land to Anglos from the United States. The legal immigrants had to agree to live under the
Mexican Constitution of 1824 The Federal Constitution of the United Mexican States of 1824 ( es, Constitución Federal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos de 1824) was enacted on October 4 of 1824, after the overthrow of the Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide. In the new Fr ...
.
Mexican Texas Mexican Texas is the historiographical name used to refer to the era of Texan history between 1821 and 1836, when it was part of Mexico. Mexico gained independence in 1821 after winning its war against Spain, which began in 1810. Initially, ...
was bordered by the US frontier areas of
Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
and
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
and had the most settlement by American illegal immigrants. When Mexico realized that illegal immigration was out of control, it attempted to shut it down. Mexican Texas had a population of 3,000 illegal immigrants by 1823, mostly from the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
or
Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, Ca ...
. By 1825, Mexico and the
Coahuila y Tejas Coahuila y Tejas, officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila y Tejas (), was one of the constituent states of the newly established United Mexican States under its 1824 Constitution. It had two capitals: first Saltillo (1822–1825) for ...
territory legalized immigration if the settlers converted to
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and did not own
slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. However, the settlers broke their promises, and their population expanded to 7,000 and did not assimilate to
Mexican culture Mexican culture is primarily influenced by its Indigenous inhabitants and the culture of Spain. Mexican culture is described as the 'child' of both western and native American civilizations. Other minor influences include those from other regio ...
. Immigration from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
was banned in 1830 under the
First Mexican Republic The First Mexican Republic, known also as the First Federal Republic ( es, Primera República Federal, link=no), was a Federal republic, federated republic, under the Constitution of 1824. It was a nation-state officially designated the United M ...
in an attempt to stop large numbers of white Americans from setting up cotton plantations using slave labor, which had recently been banned in Mexico. A cotton price spike and the economic success of plantations in Mississippi, which also used slaves, created strong economic incentives for illegal immigration. By 1835, American immigration increased to 1,000 per month. Mexican President Santa Anna got rid of the Mexican Constitution of 1824. His strict dictatorship led to tensions and eventually the outbreak of the Texas Revolution. The
Republic of Texas The Republic of Texas ( es, República de Tejas) was a sovereign state in North America that existed from March 2, 1836, to February 19, 1846, that bordered Mexico, the Republic of the Rio Grande in 1840 (another breakaway republic from Mex ...
declared its independent from Mexico in 1836. Several areas in northern Mexico fought the central government and declared independence. With a substantial number of white American settlers, the Republic of Texas quickly sought and achieved in 1845 its annexation to the United States.


Migration Law of 2011

Prior to May 2011,
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
's immigration policy was regulated by the highly-strict General Law of Population of 1970, which had been portrayed in a hypocritical light in comparison to immigration policies by the
US states In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
, such as Arizona or Alabama. However, on May 24, 2011, Mexican President
Felipe Calderón Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 a ...
signed the new and much more liberal Migration Law. One chamber of the Mexican Congress had unanimously approved the migration bill on February 24 and the other on April 29. Some of the most significant principles of the new law included new rights for migrants. It guarantees that foreigners and Mexican nationals will receive equal treatment under
Mexican law The law of Mexico is based upon the Constitution of Mexico and follows the civil law (legal system), civil law tradition. Sources The hierarchy of sources of law can be viewed as the Constitution, legislation, regulations, and then custom. Alterna ...
and decriminalizes undocumented immigration by reducing it to an administrative infraction, punishable with a fine of up to 100 days of the
minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...
. Under the equality principle all immigrants, regardless of status, nationality, or ethnicity, are granted the right to education and healthcare and are entitled to
due process Due process of law is application by state of all legal rules and principles pertaining to the case so all legal rights that are owed to the person are respected. Due process balances the power of law of the land and protects the individual pers ...
. Elements aimed at promoting family unity were also added. Moreover, before the government takes action (such ad by deportation) with respect to migrant children and other vulnerable individuals (women, seniors, the disabled, and victims of crime), their specific needs must be prioritized, and adequate services must be provided. Migrants are also granted judicial rights that they had been denied, such as the right to due process. In addition, the law also calls for establishing a Center for Trust Evaluation and Control, which will be charged with the task of training and certifying immigration personnel in hopes of curtailing corrupt practices. All Institute of Migration officials are to meet the same standards as the rest of the country's security agencies. Government officials found to be violating the law are now subject to penalties, including fines and imprisonment.


General Law of Population

With the Mexican government's intent to control migration flows and attract foreigners able to contribute to economic development, the new migration law simplifies foreigners' entrance and residence requirements. Firstly, the law replaces the two large immigration categories (immigrant and non-immigrant) with the categories of "visitor" and "temporary resident." The status of "permanent resident" is maintained. Both categories incorporate over 30 different types of foreigners [distinguished visitor, religious minister, etc.), each with its own stipulations and requirements to qualify for entry and staying. Under the new law, the requirements are simplified by basically differentiating foreigners who are allowed to work and those who are not. The law also expedites the permanent resident application process for retirees and other foreigners. For the granting of permanent residency, the law proposes using a point system, based on factors such as level of education, employment experience, and scientific and technological knowledge. The specifics for the points system were established in Articles 124 to 127 of the law's regulations, which were published on September 28, 2012. According to Article 81 of the law and Article 70 of its regulations, only immigration officials may conduct immigration proceduresl, but the Federal Police may assist under the request and the guidance of the Institute of Migration. Verification procedures may not be conducted in migrant shelters run by civil society organizations or by individuals who engage in providing humanitarian assistance to immigrants.


Current situation

Americans are the largest group of immigrants in Mexico. They number 1.5 million, many of them being without legal status since they overstayed their visas.


Immigration raids

In October 2004, the ''Hechos'' newscast of TV Azteca reported that the National Institute of Migration in Mexico had raided strip clubs and deported foreigners working there without proper documentation. In 2004, the INM deported 188,000 people at a cost of US$10 million


Origin


Cubans

Illegal immigration from
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
through
Cancún Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
tripled from 2004 to 2006.


United States

The Mexican government has been accused of hypocrisy in terms of illegal immigration for criticizing the US government for its treatment of illegal immigrants since Mexican laws are considerably harsher.


Guatemala

In 2006, Joseph Contreras profiled the issue of Guatemalan immigrants illegally entering Mexico for ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...
'' magazine and stated that Mexican President
Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elec ...
urged for the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
grant legal residency to millions of undocumented Mexican immigrants, but Mexico had granted legal status to only 15,000 undocumented immigrants. Additionally, Contreras found that at coffee farms in the Mexican state
Chiapas Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
, "40,000 Guatemalan field hands endure backbreaking jobs and squalid living conditions to earn roughly S3.50 a day," and some farmers "even deduct the cost of room and board from that amount." The National Institute of Migration estimated that 400,235 people crossed the
Guatemala–Mexico border The Guatemala–Mexico border is the international border between Guatemala and Mexico. The border measures and runs between north and west Guatemala (the Guatemalan departments of San Marcos, Huehuetenango, El Quiché and El Petén) and the Me ...
illegally every year and that around 150,000 of them intended to enter the United States. The illegal immigration from Mexico's southern neighbors is proving to be a headache for both Mexico and the United States. The US has seen an increase in illegal immigration from Central America, but Mexican migration has fallen to about net zero. Most Central Americans in Mexico and the United States hail from
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
, or
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by H ...
, with a small number from
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
.
Amnesty international Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
indicates that 60% of women migrants are sexually assaulted in transit via Mexico to the United States. On 14 September 2018, the American media reported that Jacklyn, a Guatemaltan, had died at 7 in custody at
US Customs The United States Customs Service was the very first federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted c ...
.


Public opinion

A 2019 survey sponsored by ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' and the Mexican newspaper ''
Reforma REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, more commonly known as REFORMA, is an affiliate of the American Library Association formed in 1971 to promote library services to Lati ...
'' gathered information on public opinion regarding illegal immigration to Mexico. It was conducted on July 9 to 14, 2019 for 1,200 Mexicans adults across the country in 100 election districts by way of face-to-face interviews. According to the survey, Mexicans are profoundly frustrated with illegal immigrants after a year of increased migration through their country from
Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
. The survey demonstrates that only 7% of Mexicans think that Mexico should provide residency to Central American immigrants, and another 33% support allowing them to temporarily stay in Mexico while the United States comes to a decision regarding their admittance. However, 55% say that illegal immigrants should be deported to their home countries. The findings disprove the perception that Mexicans support the influx of Central Americans. The data results instead suggest that Mexicans oppose the migrants traversing through their country, a sentiment that was shared by numerous supporters of US President Donald Trump. The survey found that more than 6 in 10 Mexicans think that migrants pose a burden on their country because they take jobs and benefits that should belong to Mexicans. The face-to-face survey was conducted for Mexican adults after a dramatic increase in Mexico's immigration enforcement after an agreement had been made in June with the US. Fewer of half of Mexicans were aware of the June agreement, and 34% of those oppsed it, 59% supported it. Several analysts had predicted the base of
Mexican President The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the Co ...
Andrés Manuel López Obrador Andrés Manuel López Obrador (; born 13 November 1953), also known by his initials AMLO, is a Mexican politician who has been serving as the 65th president of Mexico since 1 December 2018. He previously served as Head of Government of Mexico ...
to be disillusioned when he agreed to heighten Mexico's immigration enforcement. However, the poll instead suggested that his new approach lost very little of López Obrador's popularity. He maintained a strong 70% approval rating eight months after he had assumed office. As many as 54% stated that he was standing up for the interests of Mexico in his dealings with the United States and on immigration. Furthermore, 51% of Mexicans support using the country's recently-formed
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
to repel the migration of illegal immigrants to Mexico. He launched Mexican National Guard, which has played a major part in the intensifying of immigration enforcement. Also, 53% of Mexicans voiced their trust in the national guard, two thirds of Mexicans stated that they would like the national guard to be in their city, and 45% reported that they felt safer with the domestic force. In July 2019, the governors of three northern Mexican states (
Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
,
Nuevo León Nuevo León () is a state in the northeast region of Mexico. The state was named after the New Kingdom of León, an administrative territory from the Viceroyalty of New Spain, itself was named after the historic Spanish Kingdom of León. With a ...
, and
Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...
) signed a statement announcing that they could not accept any more migrants. Coahuila Governor
Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís (born 18 September 1970) is a Mexicans, Mexican politician from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) and the current Governor of Coahuila. Early life and career Riquelme Solís was born in Torreón, Coahuila, ...
stated, "The number f migrantsthat the federal government is talking about is impossible for us to deal with." Guatemalans were set be the largest group of migrants apprehended at the United States border in 2019. That would be the very first time in modern history that Mexicans do not make up the largest migrant group by nationality. The poll found that only 2% of Mexicans deemed immigration their country's most important problem, and 55% stated that it was insecurity. Another 9% mentioned corruption, the same for unemployment, 7% stated the economy, and 4% states that poverty, the same thinking that political and social problems were Mexico's primary concerns.


See also

*
Immigration to Mexico Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early sixteenth century with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas (particularly the United States a ...
*
Law of Mexico The law of Mexico is based upon the Constitution of Mexico and follows the civil law tradition. Sources The hierarchy of sources of law can be viewed as the Constitution, legislation, regulations, and then custom. Alternatively, the hierarchy can ...
*
Illegal immigration to the United States Illegal immigration to the United States is the process of migrating into the United States in violation of federal immigration laws. This can include foreign nationals (aliens) who have entered the United States unlawfully, as well as thos ...


References

{{North America topic, Illegal immigration to Immigration to Mexico
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
Law of Mexico