Illegal Immigration Mexico-U.S.a

Illegal Immigration Along the

Mexican-U.S.A Border

Adam Greene – 0757191

Dr. Mercier

March 1 2011

Illegal Immigration Along the Mexican-U.S.A Border

Introduction to the Issue

For many generations Mexicans have illegally crossed the border into the United States. Reasons for the high rate of migration from Mexico include the close proximity of Mexico to the U.S. and the noticeable difference in the quality of life between the two countries. Many individuals come from poverty-stricken towns in Mexico and desire to come to the United States to achieve the "American dream." For many, just gaining employment at a low wage job in the United States provides a much higher standard of living than in their home country. During the 1980s, the United States saw a significant increase in illegal immigrants from Mexico. The immigration influx was not limited to Mexicans from one specific region but rather from communities all throughout Mexico.

Location of the Issue

Due to its close proximity to Mexico, California has become a popular destination for immigrants to cross the border in order to get into the United States. However, an increased number of border patrol agents and improved technology has made it more difficult to cross the border into California. As a result, more illegal immigrants have decided to take the riskier route through Arizona’s deserts. Especially during the summer months, there tend to be more cases of illegal immigrants who try to cross the Arizona desert and die from dehydration (Cornelius, 2001). However, increased border security does not hamper the hope of the illegal immigrants who wish to get across the border into the US. There are many illegal immigrants who still opt to cross the border through California. In Tijuana, Mexico and neighboring Mexican cities it is not difficult to find groups of illegal immigrants around the border with few belongings if any. The majority of the illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico...