I know what is going on down there. My husband is from there (and yes he was a legal Resident before I met him) We go every year to visit family down there and we drive from NC straight to the border in Matamoros to a place called Tuxpan, Veracruz. We hear and read about the horror stories of what is going on all the time. We are seriously thinking on skipping this year ends trip just out of safety for our kids and ourselves.
When we started going down there 17 yrs ago, the streets were lined with vendors and carts, now with the new laws, no vendors without permits and no one is allowed to sell on sidewalks or streets that are used for transportation. There are no more vendors or make shift tent stores in Mexicon city either. They have designated areas for that and they are only allowed during certain seasons and holidays.
The use of coyotes to get illegals across the border are almost non existent now. The fear of rape, murder, and forced into the cartell is what has detered more people from wanting to cross the border illegally. This is why the use of false documentation has increased and those have been caught in record numbers now. We went to visit a neice that lives near the coast back in an area that is way off the beaten path but is very populized. On this one unfinished main road there have been several large ranch style luxury homes being built. Some friends of our family have been hired to work and build it. They have described secret passageways, secret rooms and doors, and areas that look like large underground living quarters and storage houses. The homes above look very nice, even for American standards but they are just a facade for what is under ground.
I agree on the fact of legalizing Marijuana in Mexico and in the States. The reason being is, if it is made legal then the trade of it must be legal and taxed which in turn controls the market and even the blackmarket would be easier to trace. When you supply a demand "legally" the need to use dangerous and manipulative means to supply that market is lessened or made non existent and the charges of illegal marketing or shipping is higher. The price of the product is even lessened and taxed which cuts the profits. Hey, the govt is going to want it's share of the tax and tarrifs so they will work harder to get it. LOL

Before, it was the gangs in those areas, mostly small time wannabe's. Then there was the Mexican Mafia which is replaced by the Cartell, which I am sure there will be another in the next 5 to 10 yrs that will replace them. Fear works wonders when it comes to these types of people and when you have millions with less than an 8th grade education it is easier to manipulate.
But, to get back on topic, many of the illegals that are trying to cross will try to do it legally, atleast twice in 5yrs, then they will chance their lives to cross illegally. They are not worried about border patrols or the minute men, they are more worried about the "wanderers" from the cartell or those that prowl the border (their own country men) on the US side to steal, rape, and even kill. Small timers or individuals that see it as easy pickens.
Many of our American manufacturers that moved to Mexico are not in areas where the jobs are needed. Many of these small pueblas and ranchitos are the ones that need the work, but you will only find these companies in large cities and tourist areas. But the least of my worries are the illegal hispanics crossing our borders to "take jobs" we don't have. I am worried about those companies that are leaving the US and hiring foreign people to work for them and then the companies are getting tax breaks, shipping tarrifs waived, and free port and warehouse transfers. That needs to stop. Tax the heck out of them if they want to take our jobs over seas. Charge higher tarrifs and port fees. Hold them in port for more than 2 wks at a time before they can deposit and distribute their products to the US markets and investigate each and every package. Then let's see if it is worth it to manufacture over seas. The harder to supply a demand the less interest in their foreign made products which in turn will make them lose money because they will have to drop the prices and eat the costs. They won't want to do that very long. Heck, we did it this way back in the early 70's all the way up to 1980, why not do it now?
Thanks again for the welcome all.

And your proof of this preposterous claim is...?

Are "legal" immigrants more healthy than their "illegal" counterparts? Are US-citizen international travelers screened for disease before being allowed to re-enter the country?

Maybe we should start screening Arizona (and ALL Red State) citizens for disease before allowing them to travel to other states -- and especially to Washington D.C., as in the case of McCain. Fortunately, bigotry and neconservatism don't appear to be communicable diseases.

Yet another xenophobic lie posited as "fact."

I've been to Mexico several times, mostly to Cabo, and can report that EVERY time that I return to the states I have a huge headache and aversion to bright light, loud noises, and Tequila for several days afterward.

old. Have been in touch with other family members who have traveled here and some who have applied for, and received, green cards for permanent residence.

All were required to submit to a medical exam and get an x-ray(tb) prior to receiving their entry visas. Does not apply to most tourist visas or returning citizens from overseas.

Illegals, whether they come in from Mexico or Canada, do not apply for visas. They can come in illegally without any checks whatsoever. I mentioned that people entering as refugees may not be medically cleared.

Disease, under single-payer healthcare, would not be a problem for any of us.

Health status is only a small problem, not a large one. We have areas of this country now where people have all sorts of disease problems and these are citizens.

A mind once expanded can never return to its original dimensions.

Anne Hathaway: 1556-1623

The greatest derangement of the mind is to believe in something because one wishes it to be so.

The company my husband works for subscribed to E verify this year. Believe it or not it only has caught 2 illegal aliens and 2 Americans, one black the other white. One of the "illegals" is actually legal and apparently since he submitted for citizenship his record had been taken off the data base and replaced with pending and had to go get a new document to show to the employer. They went to the Federal site and guess what, a quarter of the those that have been subject to the everify process that were white,black and natural born citizens, were working under someone elses Identity and using false documentation to get jobs! Can't wait to see how many more AMERICANS get found verses the "illegals". Some have been posted as fugitives, charged with Identity theft, or were involved in some sort of crime that the feds are looking for. So how well is everify doing? I would say, as catching wanted criminals, pretty darn good. For stopping illegal hiring, eh. The only thing we need is to stop outsourcing our jobs, tighter restraints and taxes on NAFTA and CAFTA, and quit showing favoritism to only certain countries when it comes to visas, greencards, and citizenship.
And dude from Cabo, that happens everywhere in Mexico. The prescription for that is a deep tissue message, beautiful woman, and a huge Tbone steak. (Handsome hot man for us women)Other than that, can't help ya.

aicram62, I am with you in the same idea. But, I can't blame the past for our current situations because in 1300 most of the European idiots of that time knew nothing about it. Black plague, red plague, measles, dyptheria, and sexually transmitted diseases such as cyphalus and such. But, we CAN learn from out past to not repeat it. Just as George Santayana said "Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it". Greed was a major factor since the beginning of organized culture. Until we learn from our past and evolve above our ancient ancestors primal need to divide and conquer, this will be a similar reoccurence.
But, for the deal of illegal immigration, what is your stance on the current situation and the smoke screens the govt has been using to divert us from the what is going on behind the sceens by using "immigration" as a smoke screen to stir up more turmoil with all the nationalities in this country, legal or not, and causing a new form of prejudice, instead of us paying attention to what is really being done. Bush's administration was a perfect example of how that worked.
Thank you for you defense.
Blessed Be.