Things not said:
1) Mexico has reached the economic-demographic plateau, and its birthrate has plummeted to about 2.3 to 2.5. Thus, in short order, there will not be enough “excess population” to sustain mass emigration, outside of a major war or natural disaster.
2) Much of the huge migration wave was caused by Mexican President Vincente Fox, who persuaded the government to implement the “Plan Puebla Panama”, turning southern Mexico into a gigantic sea/rail/air transportation hub. W. Bush was a big supporter of this as well.
This first part of the PPP was to *depopulate* much of southern Mexico, sending the people who live there North, hopefully to the US. But having accomplished that goal, there are no more teeming masses to send North in a batch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plan_Puebla_Panama
3) Mexicans tend to believe what they are told about coming North. If they are told crossing is easy, and jobs are available, they will come. But if they are told times are hard, the border is fierce, the drug war is violent, etc., most will take a pass and not try.
Are these numbers “unexpected”?
The US has never advertised for new social welfare customers in a foreign country before, as I believe the government selling food stamps in Mexico now.
What we have found out recently is some immigrants immigrate to work, while others immigrate for freebies. Surprise surprise. Those that came to work have returned south of the border.
I have no doubt the surge will continue as soon as the economy improves, if it improves.
Duuuh, the harvest season has ended so those have gone back home. All the others who want to be here are already here.
Barone is dead wrong here. All you have to do is look at the number of Mexican border apprehensions. It still same as the last few years
The number of illegals here is much larger than the 12 million commonly mentioned and it is growing all the time. Plus we get Hispanic illegal aliens who come here on a tourist visa and never leave. Colombians for example