U.S.-Mexico Migration: The New Landscape

With:

Gustavo Mohar
Former Sub-Secretary for Population, Migration, and Religious Affairs,
Interior Ministry, Government of Mexico

Commentary by:

B. Lindsay Lowell
Director of Policy Studies
Institute for the Study of International Migration
Georgetown University

As the debate over immigration reform in the United States heats up, scant attention has been paid to changing migration patterns in North America. Gone are the days of hundreds of thousands of unauthorized migrants crossing the border.  Today, flows have dramatically declined, with recent studies showing net flows of migrants from Mexico to the United States to be close to zero, when factoring in migrants returning to Mexico.  At the same time, the Mexican government is increasingly grappling with record numbers of unauthorized Central and South American migrants crossing its borders searching for employment in Mexico. What are the drivers of recent changes?  Can the United States expect large flows of unauthorized immigrants when stronger economic growth returns, or have those days ended?  How can the governments of the United States, Mexico, and Central America better address migrant incentives and labor needs.  The Americas Program is pleased to welcome Gustavo Mohar, who led migration discussions with the United States for the Fox administration and who served President Felipe Calderón as Sub-Secretary for Population, Migration, and Religious Affairs in Mexico's Secretariado de Gobernación.