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,[ citation needed ] the Mexican government documented over 200,000 illegal border crossings in 2004 and 2005.[ citation needed ] The largest source of illegal immigrants in Mexico are the impoverished Central American countries of Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador and African countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria. The largest single group of immigrants in Mexico is from the United States, at 1.5 million, many of whom overstay their visas. [1] 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. [2]

Contents

Texas in 19th century

In the 1820s, people from the Northern and the Eastern United States entered Mexico illegally. Mexico had legal immigration by empresario 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 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. Mexican Texas was bordered by the US frontier areas of Louisiana and Arkansas 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 or Appalachia. By 1825, Mexico and the Coahuila y Tejas territory legalized immigration if the settlers converted to Roman Catholicism and did not own slaves. However, the settlers broke their promises, and their population expanded to 7,000 and did not assimilate to Mexican culture.

Immigration from the United States was banned in 1830 under the First Mexican Republic 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. [3]

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 declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. [4]

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'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, such as Arizona or Alabama. However, on May 24, 2011, Mexican President Felipe Calderón 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 and decriminalizes undocumented immigration by reducing it to an administrative infraction, punishable with a fine of up to 100 days of the minimum wage. [5]

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. 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. [6] 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 procedures, 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. [7] [8]

Migrant shelters

Migrant shelters in Mexico are mainly non-profits and faith based. [9] Migrant shelters respond to migrants' need for safety and resources. They are built along migrant routes so that people can stop a while and recuperate. These shelters provide temporary housing and services such as access to food, clothing, and the internet

Migrant shelters also serve as housing for migrants who are applying for refugee status in Mexico. The Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) takes 45 business days to process submitted applications. [9] This agency has been and still is understaffed in comparison to the large number of migrants. [9] So COMAR has struggled to keep up with the processing of applications, leading to growing numbers of migrants seeking shelter. [9]

Different shelters offer different services and assume different approaches to their work with migrants. [10] There are shelters that focus on providing a space to rest and recharge for the journey; others that organize travel groups and share information about the safest routes; and others that discourage their clients from continuing their journey. [10] Smugglers, coyotes, and cartel members are aware of the locations of the shelters so staying in them can become a risk of further victimization for some migrants. [10]

Most migrant shelters in Mexico are faith-based organizations. Some studies show many migrants feel more comfortable in shelters that are faith-based and which provide spiritual counseling [11]

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. [12] In 2004, the INM deported 188,000 people at a cost of US$10 million. [13]

Origin

Cubans

Illegal immigration from Cuba through Cancún tripled from 2004 to 2006. [14]

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. [15] [16] [17]

Guatemala

In 2006, Joseph Contreras profiled the issue of Guatemalan immigrants illegally entering Mexico for Newsweek magazine [18] and stated that Mexican President Vicente Fox urged for the United States 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, "40,000 Guatemalan field hands endure backbreaking jobs and squalid living conditions to earn roughly [US]$3.50 a day," and some farmers "even deduct the cost of room and board from that amount." [18] The National Institute of Migration estimated that 400,235 people crossed the Guatemala–Mexico border illegally every year and that around 150,000 of them intended to enter the United States. [19] 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, El Salvador, or Guatemala, with a small number from Nicaragua. Amnesty international indicates that 60% of women migrants are sexually assaulted in transit via Mexico to the United States. [20]

On 14 September 2018, the American media reported that Jacklyn, a Guatemaltan, had died at 7 in custody at US Customs. [21]

Public opinion

A 2019 survey sponsored by The Washington Post and the Mexican newspaper Reforma gathered information on public opinion regarding illegal immigration to Mexico. [22] 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. [22] According to the survey, Mexicans are profoundly frustrated with illegal immigrants after a year of increased migration through their country from Central America. [22] 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. [22] 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. [22] 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. [22]

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. [23] Fewer of half of Mexicans were aware of the June agreement, and 34% of those oppsed it, 59% supported it. [22] Several analysts had predicted the base of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador 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. [22] Furthermore, 51% of Mexicans support using the country's recently-formed National Guard 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. [22]

In July 2019, the governors of three northern Mexican states (Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas) signed a statement announcing that they could not accept any more migrants. [24] Coahuila Governor Miguel Ángel Riquelme Solís stated, "The number [of migrants] that the federal government is talking about is impossible for us to deal with." [24] [22] 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. [22]

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. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

Wetback is a derogatory term used in the United States to refer to foreign nationals residing in the U.S., most commonly Mexicans. The word mostly targets illegal immigrants in the United States. Generally used as an ethnic slur, the term was originally coined and applied only to Mexicans who entered the U.S. state of Texas from Mexico by crossing the Rio Grande, which is the U.S. border, presumably by swimming or wading across the river and getting wet in the process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Migrant deaths along the Mexico–United States border</span>

The United States border with Mexico is one of the world's "most lethal land borders". Hundreds of migrants die per year as they attempt to cross into the United States from Mexico illegally. The US Border Patrol reported 251 migrant deaths in the fiscal year 2015, which was lower than any year during the period 2000–2014, and reported 247 migrant deaths in fiscal year 2020, lower than any year since 1998. Poverty, gang violence, poor governance, etc. are the main factors as to why migrants cross the US border. US Border Patrol recorded 557 southwest border deaths during fiscal year 2021 and 748 in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2022, the most deaths ever recorded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Wetback</span> 1950s U.S. immigration law enforcement initiative

Operation Wetback was an immigration law enforcement initiative created by Joseph Swing, the Director of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). The program was implemented in June 1954 by U.S. Attorney General Herbert Brownell. The implementation of Operation Wetback was a result of Attorney General Herbert Brownell's touring of Southern California in August 1953. It was here that he made note of the "shocking and unsettling" issue that was illegal immigration. The short-lived operation used military-style tactics to remove Mexican immigrants—some of them American citizens—from the United States. Though millions of Mexicans had legally entered the country through joint immigration programs in the first half of the 20th century and some who were naturalized citizens who were once native, Operation Wetback was designed to send them to Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexico–United States border</span> International border

The Mexico–United States border is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traverses a variety of terrains, ranging from urban areas to deserts. The Mexico–U.S. border is the most frequently crossed border in the world with approximately 350 million documented crossings annually. It is the tenth-longest border between two countries in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instituto Nacional de Migración</span>

The National Institute of Migration is a unit of the government of Mexico dependent on the Secretariat of the Interior that controls and supervises migration in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Mexico</span> Overview of immigration to Mexico

Immigration to Mexico has been important in shaping the country's demographics. Since the early 16th century, with the arrival of the Spanish, Mexico has received immigrants from Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. Today, millions of their descendants still live in Mexico and can be found working in different professions and industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal immigration to the United States</span> Immigration to the United States in violation of US law

Foreign nationals (aliens) can violate US immigration laws by entering the United States unlawfully or lawfully entering but then remaining after the expiration of their visas, parole, TPS, etc. Illegal immigration has been a matter of intense debate in the United States since the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illegal immigration</span> Entry into a country without legal right

Illegal immigration is the migration of people into a country in violation of the immigration laws of that country or the continued residence without the legal right to live in that country. Illegal immigration tends to be financially upward, from poorer to richer countries. Illegal residence in another country creates the risk of detention, deportation, and/or other sanctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration to Greece</span> Overview of immigration to Greece

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emigration from Mexico</span> Mexicans moving abroad

Emigration from Mexico is the movement of people from Mexico to other countries. The top destination by far is the United States, by a factor of over 150 to 1 compared to the second most popular destination, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coyote (person)</span> Migrant smuggler

Colloquially, a coyote is a person who smuggles immigrants across the Mexico–United States border. The word "coyote" is a loanword from Mexican Spanish that usually refers to a species of North American wild dog (Canis latrans).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 American immigration crisis</span> Surge in immigration along US southern border

The 2014 American immigration crisis was a surge in unaccompanied children and women from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA) seeking entrance to the United States in 2014. According to U.S. law, an unaccompanied alien child refers to a person under 18 years of age, who has no lawful immigration status in the U.S., and who does not have a legal guardian to provide physical custody and care.

Guatemalan migrants are the 10th largest migrant group in the United States of America., and the 3rd largest immigrant group from Central America. The 2015 American Community Survey estimates the Guatemalan American migrant population at 1,300,000, which is roughly 3% of the US foreign born population, and 0.4% of the total population of the United States. Of this group, the majority live in California, New York, Florida, and Texas. Roughly one quarter of Guatemalan Migrants reside in Anaheim County, California alone. A majority of these migrants are men; according to 2015 American Community Survey, roughly 57% of all Guatemalan Migrants are male. They also tend to be younger, with 86% falling between the ages of 18 and 65. In comparison, approximately 60% of the native born population and 80% of the foreign born population are in the same age range. Of the 650,000 (62.5%) Guatemalan migrants in the labor market, approximately one third are employed in the service sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central American migrant caravans</span> Migrant caravan through Mexico

Central American migrant caravans, also known as the Viacrucis del migrante, are migrant caravans that travel from Central America to the Mexico–United States border. The largest and best known of these were organized by Pueblo Sin Fronteras that set off during Holy Week in early 2017 and 2018 from the Northern Triangle of Central America (NTCA), but such caravans of migrants began arriving several years earlier, and other unrelated caravans continued to arrive into late 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trump administration migrant detentions</span> 2019–2020 political controversy

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The following lists events in the year 2020 in Guatemala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Immigration policy of the Joe Biden administration</span>

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On 27 March 2023, a fire occurred at an immigration detention center in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, near the border with the United States. The fire killed 40 people and left 27 others seriously injured. According to Vice interviewees, prison officials demanded bribes from migrants to release them and avoid deportition. The fire was allegedly started by inmates when they set fire to their mattresses to protest their detention conditions and impending deportation. CCTV security footage obtained by the press shows INM personnel fleeing the spreading flames and smoke while leaving the detainees locked in their cell.

References

  1. ↑ "Why some people are moving from the United States to Mexico". The Economist. 19 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Why some people are moving from the United States to Mexico". The Economist. 19 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Andrew J. Torget (2015). Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850. The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN   978-1469624242.
  4. ↑ Woodard, Colin. American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America . New York City: Penguin, 2011. ISBN   1101544457. pp. 209-211.
  5. ↑ "Se despenaliza en México inmigración indocumentada". La Jornada de Morelos (in Spanish). Archived from the original on May 25, 2010.
  6. ↑ Gonzalez-Murphy, Laura. "Protecting Immigrant Rights in Mexico: Understanding the State-Civil Society Nexus," Routledge, New York, Forthcoming 2013
  7. ↑ "Ley de Migración, DOF 25-05-2011" (PDF) (in Spanish). Diputados.gob.mx. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2013-11-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ "Migratory Act : May 25, 2011" (PDF). Albany.edu. Retrieved 2013-11-27.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Angulo-Pasel, Carla (1 February 2022). "Rethinking the space of the migrant shelter in Mexico: humanitarian and security implications in the practices of bordering". Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power. 29 (6): 730–747. doi:10.1080/1070289X.2022.2029068. S2CID   246547955.
  10. 1 2 3 Candiz, Guillermo; Bélanger, Danièle (5 June 2018). "Del tránsito a la espera: el rol de las casas del migrante en México en las trayectorias de los migrantes centroamericanos". Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. 43 (2): 277–297. doi:10.1080/08263663.2018.1467533. S2CID   165287320.
  11. ↑ Parra-Cardona, Rubén; Zapata, Ofelia; Emerson, Maria; Garcia, Deliana; Sandoval-Pliego, Jairo (2021). "Faith-Based Organizations as Leaders of Implementation". Stanford Social Innovation Review. 19 (3): 21–24. doi:10.48558/RRE8-DT78. PMC   8903042 . PMID   35264917.
  12. ↑ Alcocer, Sandra (October 13, 2004). "Las entrañas de los "table dance"". Hechos (in Spanish). TV Azteca. Archived from the original on December 2, 2006.
  13. ↑ "Version de la conferencia de prensa de la comisionada del Instituto Nacional de Migración, Magdalena Carral, el dia de hoy en la auditorio del INM". National Institute of Migration (Mexico). February 10, 2004. Archived from the original on June 12, 2007.
  14. ↑ Veledíaz, Juan (March 30, 2007). "Se dispara migración de cubanos vía Cancún". El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City . Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  15. ↑ Seper, Jerry (March 24, 2005). "Mexico accused of abusing its illegals". Washington Times . Archived from the original on December 31, 2006.
  16. ↑ Seper, Jerry (May 3, 2010). "Mexico's illegals laws tougher than Arizona's". Washington Times . Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  17. ↑ Hawley, Chris (May 25, 2010). "Activists blast Mexico's immigration law". USA Today . Retrieved April 24, 2012.
  18. 1 2 "Stepping Over the Line". Newsweek . 4 June 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  19. ↑ Gorney, Cynthia (February 2008). "Mexico's Other Border". National Geographic. Vol. 213, no. 2. pp. 60–79.
  20. ↑ The Globe and Mail: "Southern exposure: The costly border plan Mexico won't discuss" by Stephanie Nolen January 5, 2017
  21. ↑ 7-year-old migrant girl taken into Border Patrol custody dies of dehydration, exhaustion
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Clement, Scott; Sieff, Kevin (2019-07-17). "Unauthorized Immigrants Face Public Backlash in Mexico, Survey". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  23. ↑ Thaivalappil, Maureen (2019-06-08). "U.S.-Mexico Joint Declaration - United States Department of State". State.gov . United States Department of State . Retrieved 2019-07-17.
  24. 1 2 Reséndez, Perla (2019-07-10). "Tamaulipas, Nuevo León y Coahuila Señalan Que No Pueden Recibir a Más Migrantes". El Financiero . Retrieved 2019-07-17.
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