What role will the U.S. immigration debate play in the Mexican election?
The heated debate over immigration reform legislation in the United States has spread to Mexico, the source of roughly half of illegal immigrants in the U.S. An estimated 12 million Mexican migrants working in the United States send home nearly $20 billion each year from the United States. PAN candidate Felipe Calderón has said he opposes the 370-mile triple fence proposed by the Senate and that Mexico’s tradition of warding off foreign investment encourages illegal immigration. A reform bill similar to the senate version, which provides a worker program for some undocumented Mexicans in the United States, could boost Calderón. The approval of additional border security measures, a key part of both the Senate and House bills, could tip the balance in favor of the PRD’s Obrador, who lambasted Fox for not opposing Bush’s plan to send 6,00 National Guard troops to the border. However, it is unlikely that a final reform will come to a vote by the time the Mexican election is held.
