I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with a Mexican consular
official, mostly regarding tourism, a few weeks ago. We were discussing
the various documents necessary to visit Mexico. Starting in January,
2007, Americans must have a Passport to visit and return from Mexico.
Prior to that date, it has been, and is, possible to travel to Mexico
with only a birth certificate.

The consular official expressed to me that the Mexican Government has a
concern about the growing number of Americans either sneaking across
the U.S./Mexico border without documents... or, going into Mexico
legally and then staying there. One of the biggest problems is from
American women going across the border and having their babies in
Mexico, so they (the babies) will be Mexican citizens. When the Mexican
government finds them, they arrest these undocumented Americans and
return them to the U.S., but many Americans are still there working for
the higher wages one can get in Mexico. The Americans claim that they
are only taking jobs that Mexicans don't want.

I suggested that Mexico build a fence 700 miles long and try to prevent
these Gringo Wetbacks from sneaking across the border and burdening the
infrastructure in Mexico. I guess that the fence thing wouldn't work,
though, as 700 miles is way too short. That would be ridiculous.

While I have compassion for these Americans who are desperate to work
and send most of the money they earn back home to the U.S., I believe
that we should work with the Mexican government to stop this. Any
ideas?

Jack

Jack Tyler formulated the question :
> I was fortunate enough to have a meeting with a Mexican consular
> official, mostly regarding tourism, a few weeks ago. We were discussing
> the various documents necessary to visit Mexico. Starting in January,
> 2007, Americans must have a Passport to visit and return from Mexico.
> Prior to that date, it has been, and is, possible to travel to Mexico
> with only a birth certificate.
>
> The consular official expressed to me that the Mexican Government has a
> concern about the growing number of Americans either sneaking across
> the U.S./Mexico border without documents... or, going into Mexico
> legally and then staying there. One of the biggest problems is from
> American women going across the border and having their babies in
> Mexico, so they (the babies) will be Mexican citizens. When the Mexican
> government finds them, they arrest these undocumented Americans and
> return them to the U.S., but many Americans are still there working for
> the higher wages one can get in Mexico. The Americans claim that they
> are only taking jobs that Mexicans don't want.
>
> I suggested that Mexico build a fence 700 miles long and try to prevent
> these Gringo Wetbacks from sneaking across the border and burdening the
> infrastructure in Mexico. I guess that the fence thing wouldn't work,
> though, as 700 miles is way too short. That would be ridiculous.
>
> While I have compassion for these Americans who are desperate to work
> and send most of the money they earn back home to the U.S., I believe
> that we should work with the Mexican government to stop this. Any
> ideas?
>
> Jack

Jack,

Did you know that Canada is also afflicted by a similar problem. The
Canadian Goverment has tried to slow the flow of Canadian national fish
into the US by restricting the amount of filets that the hungry
American fisherman can bring back across the border. They are also
requiring a passport for those Americans.

The world as we know it is changeing.

Paul