The New York Times reports–again, but more prominently–that illegal immigration from Mexico has fallen off a cliff. The annual rate has dropped from 500,000 per year to less than 100,000 last year. This is yet another triumph, sort of, that the Obama Administration has refused to tout. (One wonders if the reasons are political: Latino voters might not take kindly to the President bragging about his role in the constriction of the Mexican invasion.)
There seem to be three main reasons for the change in immigration patterns:
Increased surveillance and fencing have made it tougher to cross the border. Decreased economic activity in the U.S. has made border-hopping a less attractive option. And life seems to have gotten significantly better, with greater options for success, in Mexico. This is lovely news. A mature and wise Republic would take advantage of the relative stasis to reform its immigration laws. You think that’s going to happen?
