More than 350,000 Mexicans have returned home since U.S. attacks

The News (Mexico City) ^ | November 7, 2001

[sarcasm]

Illegal immigrants enter California by running into traffic on I-5 to avoid the Border Patrol. Usually Mexicans are busy trying to get into the U.S., but since the Sept. 11, thousands want to come home. File Photo, TheNewsMexico.com

More than 350,000 Mexicans have returned home since U.S. attacks
AFP - 11/7/2001

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco - More than 350,000 Mexicans have returned home in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. but that figure doesn't represent an alarming trend, said the director of the National Migration Institute.

The significant return of Mexicans who reside in the United States has to do with the fact that "contracts, mostly temporary ones, have expired and because the economic situation over there is not so great," said Felipe de Jesus Preciado.

Because of the current negative economic conditions that have prevailed since the attacks, he said, "350,000 men and women have returned to Mexico," adding in the coming months at least 150,000 more are expected to come home. This would bring the number of Mexicans "who prefer to live in their own country again" to a record 500,000 the official said.

Despite the nine percent increase in the return flow of immigrants over the same period last year, the trend isn't worrisome, Preciado assured.

More than 40 percent of returning immigrants enter through the international airport in Guadalajara prompting the government to open a migrant program office to assist and protect the rights of returning Mexicans.

The program was created in 1989 to help returning citizens, principally from the U.S., in processing legal documents and protect them from bureaucratic corruption.

There are currently 20 million people of Mexican origin living in the United States. Approximately 4 million were admitted legally in the 1990s, a figure 63 higher than the number admitted in the first 80 years of the 20th century.

According to recent government figures, Mexicans in the U.S. sent back a record 8 billion dollars between January and October. This represents more than 1 percent of the national GDP and is one of Mexico's largest sources of foreign income.

Translated by Armando Saliba

[sarcasm]

How many millions more to go?

[dennisw]

I am skeptical. But if true I am jumping up and down for joy. Illegal alien is illegal alien !

Get the bleep out of MY COUNTRY!

[patriciaruth]

Still, I think I'd prefer a booming economy and the days before al-Qaeda and anthrax became household words.

[wienerdog.com]

More than 350,000 Mexicans have returned home in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. but that figure doesn't represent an alarming trend...

Hmmm... I don't have any specific problem with it either.

[sarcasm]

Check this out:

The fate of 15 Kenyans arrested in the United States remained unclear yesterday, as it became clear that new immigration laws proposed by the American government would make it harder for students to obtain visas.

The Kenyans, from Boston, Massachusetts, who were arrested in Des Moines, Iowa, when they tried to claim social security benefits, were jailed pending trial after they failed to raise the $5,000 (Sh400,000) set as their bond.

[MissAmericanPie]

Eight billion of our money hemmorages from our economy into Mexico this year, Kenyans try to bleed our SS system, and we are suppose to find it alarming that 350,000 are leaving?

[OldFriend]

Wonder if any benefits they were collecting will follow them to Mexico? Would anyone be surprised if we were that stupid?

[Wonder Warthog]

"I am skeptical. But if true I am jumping up and down for joy. Illegal alien is illegal alien !"

Well, the article doesn't exactly say that these were illegals, and in fact implies that they were legals working on contracts. Of course, any chicken heart that leaves, legal or not, is no loss.

I'd go further--any illegal alien who shows up at a recruiting office and signs up for military service automatically has his status legalized, and given citizenship at the end of his term of service. Anyone who will do that DESERVES to become a citizen.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

Anthrax is proving to be a useful human repellant. First, hundreds of congress crooks and their staff turn tail and run, now immigrants are returning to their country.

[FITZ]

Maybe they'll go and build up Mexico so it's not a country people have to leave. There's no reason really that a country so rich in resources should have that kind of poverty rate.

[FITZ]

they tried to claim social security benefits

We're such chumps that the whole world knows how easy it is to scam free money from us. Our government has been very irresponsible to the taxpayers, it takes 2 jobs per family to afford the taxes and they turn around and waste our money on an INS that did nothing and easy benefits for any foreigner who asked.

[SocialMeltdown]

The numbers amount to nothing and there is no systemic change in our policies concerning "migration".

[blam]

"How many millions more to go?

12.5 million?

[biblewonk]

Maybe they are just migrating south for the winter.

[nightdriver]

"Eight billion of our money hemmorages from our economy into Mexico this year, Kenyans try to bleed our SS system, and we are suppose to find it alarming that 350,000 are leaving?

We find it alarming if we are liberals who are intent on bringing down our free enterprise system and establishing a socialistic utopia with liberals in charge.

[Bikers4Bush]

Good, now how do we get the rest of them to go and then keep them there?

[Old Fud]

More than 350,000 Mexicans have returned home in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on the U.S. but that figure doesn't represent an alarming trend

Why the Sam Hill would it be alarming?

[MissAmericanPie]

Not when you consider that those from India and other nations with residence status send for their elderly parents to come over on a six month visa so that they can file for SS payments and then return to India and the government will mail their checks to them there. It isn't Social Security but some offshoot that pays cash emergency or some such, SSE, OEC, I can't keep up with all the alphabet agencies.

[Texas Mom]

Did this article say, ALARMING?

I don't think I would have used that word.

How about encouraging?