Not just 11 million illegals. More like 24 million with more pouring in over the border every minute of every day. And Bush is meeting in Mexico with Fox to figure out a way to 'persuade' Mexicans to go home. What a laugh. Let's see, Fox gets 9 or 10 billion a year in remittances, so we'd have to up the ante and offer billions more to returning Mexicans. Unfortunately, the money would be stolen at the border by Mexican police and army, so they'd come back to the US.
Plus, how are you going to keep them down in corrupt Mexico after they've seen what normal US life is all about? We have no choice but to force Fox to change Mexico for the better. (Think of Mexico as Iraq or Afghanistan. I bet the idea's been bandied about in the White House basement more than once.)
Fox is getting more than that these days. It was double that amount last year.
Bank of Mexico Reports Remittances Sent Home by Mexicans Living Abroad Rise to $20B in 2005
The Bank of Mexico reported remittances sent home by Mexicans living abroad rose to $20 billion in 2005, a 17% increase over the year before. Remittances have been climbing steadily for years, surpassing the amount the country receives from tourism. Approximately 11 million Mexican natives reside abroad, with 98% of that number residing in the United States.
Foreign income in 2005:
Source: www.moneysense.ca/news/company_news/shownews.jsp?content=D8FFTN2GG_ap
[No longer an active link.]