Illegal Mexican Immigration: Process

Process

1. Since 2000, when Mexican President Vincente Fox took office, nearly two million Mexicans have emigrated, both legally and illegally. Most of them go to the United States. Some 575,000 Mexican-born people joined the U.S. population from 2000 to 2004, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. Of that number, only 90,000 entered legally. In 2004, Mexicans overseas pumped $22.2 billion in remittances back to the Mexican economy. But the economic activity has a price: Each year, roughly 400 people die during unauthorized border crossings, according to Mexican officials: 431 in 2004 and 373 in 2004. Most die of thirst or exposure to the elements on the dangerous journey. Some 46 percent of unauthorized migrants to the United States are women and children. And, as the United States increases border patrols, more Mexicans are turning to people-smugglers, or "coyotes," and paying increasingly higher fees to be taken across the border. The increased traffic—and a thriving drug trade by Mexican criminal syndicates—has led to a spike in violence along the border. Border patrol agents have been attacked more than 190 times since October 2005, according to a story in the New York Times.

Source: Council on Foreign Relations

In light of this current situation this current situation, the United States is attempting to create laws that regulate immigration from Mexico to the United States.

2. We will discuss your intial reactions to this issue in class and work through unfamiliar vocabulary you will need to know to better understand this issue. The following is a list of vocabulary words that you will need to know as you read about this topic: coyote, naturalization, illegal immigration, amnesty, guest worker program.

3. You will be divided into four groups. All groups will research general information about illegal Mexican immigration to the United States and current border patrol. Through research, your group will create a solution for either upporting stricter border patrols along the U.S. Mexican border, or devise a plan that allows more Mexicans to legally enter into the United States to work and/or live.

4. Use the attached study guides to direct your reading and analysis of the following websites.

- Study Guide 1

- Study Guide 2

General Mexican Immigration Information:

http://www.mexidata.info/id350.html

http://wwww.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20010107-1.html

http://travel.state.gov/law.citizenship/citizenship_781.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/20/world/main1421940.shtml

http://www.cfr.org/publication/9909/#2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States%E2%80%93Mexico_border

Support for Less Strict Border Laws:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/21/AR2006032101792.html