Immigration Lawyers for Mexican Citizens | Mexico & Mexican Visa Lawyer | Immigration Lawyer for Mexico
Immigration Lawyers for Mexican Citizens
Mexican migration into the United States has has always played an influential role in both U.S. and Mexican society. From the industrial booms of the past, to the the California Gold Rush, to the Intercontinental Railroad, Mexican immigrants have always done their best to seek economic opportunity in the United States. While most current issues regarding Mexican immigration into the U.S. revolve around undocumented or illegal immigration, this is only half of a long and important history of migration between the two nations.
It is indeed true that more than 50 percent of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. are undocumented. Additionally, the largest foreign-born population living in the United States is comprised of both legal and illegal Mexican immigrants, according to the Migration Information Source. The next largest source of immigration to the U.S. comes from the Philippines.
The History of Mexican Migration to the U.S.
Between 1850 and 1880, Mexican immigrants moved en masse across the United States border. Farmers began raising more cattle ranches in the southwestern U.S. and increased fruit production in California, thereby creating more jobs and opportunities for our neighbors to the south. During that time frame, more than 55,000 Mexicans entered the United States in hopes of finding better economic opportunities. Additionally, the creation of the American railroad system in the late 19th century created even larger waves of Mexican immigration in the U.S. In fact, by the turn of the 20th century, about 60 percent of the railroad industry's workforce was made up of Mexican immigrants.
In 1924, the United States Congress formed the U.S. Border Patrol. The Border Patrol was established to alleviate some of the harmful and serious effects of illegal immigration across the U.S. - Mexican Border. The new federal law declared that all undocumented immigrants were fugitives subject to arrest and possible deportation. From that point forward, derogatory terms such as "illegal alien" became well known and commonly used, as society became suspicious of illegal border crossing.
Despite this, Mexicans form an important part of American society and culture and Spanish is now widely spoken throughout the United States. Mexican Americans are contributing members of American society, despite the barriers to legal residence or citizenship that they may face.
Mexicans Immigrants and Returning Home
Over the first several generations of Mexican Migration to the United States, most immigrants, both legal and illegal, came to the U.S. with the intent of returning to their home countries in time. However, now well into the 21st century, this phenomenon has started to shift, most because of political instability and drug cartel activity in Mexico. Many Mexican immigrants are reluctant to return to their homes for safety reasons. Thus, what was once a temporary stay in the United States has become permanent for many.
Mexicans in the United States Today
Mexico represents the largest source of immigrants to the U.S. each year, by far. Of the 32.5 million immigrants represented in the 2002 CPS, 9.8 million, or 30 percent, were from Mexico; the next largest source, the Philippines, accounted for only one-seventh as many, at 1.4 million. The rest of Latin America accounted for 7.3 million, or 23 percent. Asian immigrants, at 8.5 million, made up 26 percent of the total foreign-born population. There were 5.4 million foreign-born immigrants from Europe and Canada, accounting for 17 percent of all immigrants. Africa and the remaining countries, at 1.4 million, made up a mere four percent of all foreign born. It is important to note, however, that Mexicans also account for about 20 percent of all legal immigrants living in the United States as well.
Mexican immigration to the United States has accelerated rapidly over the past couple decades and will continue to increase. Currently, about nine percent of the population born in Mexico is now living in the United States. While a large majority (around 80 percent) of all newly arrived immigrants from Mexico are undocumented, only about half of all Mexicans in the United States are undocumented. And while average annual flows from Mexico since 2000 are slightly smaller than in the late 1990s, they remain high, and above the levels of the early 1990s. Without any major changes in the United States immigration policy, its enforcement strategies, or a continued deterioration in the U.S. economy, it is likely that overall migration and migration from Mexico in particular will continue at roughly current levels.
Many Mexican immigrants in the United States send money to family members back in their home country. In fact, about 10 percent of all Mexican families still living in Mexico are dependent upon money they receive from those relatives that immigrated to the U.S for work. Specifically, according to the National Population Council of Mexico, such family member gifts create the third largest source of income in Mexico after only tourism and petroleum.
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If you are a Mexican person (or any person of Hispanic ancestry) seeking entry to the United States through one of the U.S. government's immigration services, please fill out the questionnaire on this page and an experienced Immigration Lawyer will contact you regarding your particular immigration matter. There is no obligation created by your submission of information. Immigration lawyers and law firms are available at all hours and will contact you to assist with any immigration concerns that you may have.