What’s really happening south of the U.S.-Mexico border? The internet is full of myths and half-truths, and it can be pretty confusing when both sides of the broader debate have an agenda.
Here are three current immigration myths, debunked.
3 Current Myths About Mexican Immigration, Debunked
The most common myths floating around (right now, anyway) include:
- Mexico isn’t doing anything about Central American migrants.
- Most immigrants crossing the U.S. border are Mexican.
- Most illegal immigration in the U.S. is caused by people coming over the southern border.
Let’s look more closely at each of these.
Myth #1: Mexico isn’t doing anything about Central American migrants.
Truth: Mexico has been deporting a rising number of people from its own country in recent months. In fact, the Mexican government has made several efforts to step up immigration enforcement at its own borders. They’ve deported nearly 81,000 people since last December, which is a 33 percent increase in the number of people the country had deported in the previous 6 months.
Myth #2. Most immigrants crossing the U.S. border are Mexican.
Truth: The majority of people caught crossing the U.S. border without proper documentation are Central American. (And no, they’re not from “Mexican countries.”) Net migration from Mexico has actually slowed down a lot – more Mexicans are leaving the U.S. than are coming in.
Related: Hiring an immigration lawyer
Myth #3. Most illegal immigration in the U.S. is caused by people coming over the southern border.
Truth: The borders aren’t the problem here. Most undocumented immigrants don’t make the dangerous trek across rugged terrain – although they’re the ones you see on the news. The majority of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. right now actually came here by air on legal visas, and then overstayed those visas. In fact, in 2017, about 700,000 travelers to the U.S. stayed long past their visa expiration dates. (In that same year, there were about 300,000 apprehensions at the border – and that’s the lowest number since 1971.)
Related: What is a U.S. visa?
Do You Need to Talk to an Attorney About Immigration?
You should never take your chances by overstaying a visa or by crossing a border illegally – the penalties for doing so are harsh and can include a ban on reentering the United States in the future.
If you want to immigrate to the United States, we may be able to help you. Call our experienced Milwaukee immigration attorneys at 414-383-6700 to schedule a consultation now. We can answer your questions and help you get on the right path to American citizenship.
