Mexico Charts Shifts in Relations With U.S. --- Mexico's Fox Plans For Broader Policy On U.S. Immigration
MEXICO CITY -- A sharp increase in the number of U.S. visas granted to Mexican nationals will be a foreign-policy priority for incoming President Vicente Fox Quesada, according to a campaign working paper.</br></br>The policy memorandum, obtained by The Wall Street Journal, says Mexico should consider negotiating a broad new immigration agreement with the U.S. The proposed plan would commit the U.S. to granting Mexicans many more visas in exchange for what would be unprecedented Mexican cooperation in reducing the northward flow of illegal immigrants.</br></br>A U.S. State Department spokesman said any change in the number of Mexican immigrants allowed into the U.S. would have to be approved by Congress. Nevertheless, he said "we look forward to working with Mr. Fox on the major issues of the relationship, especially immigration and economic issues."</br></br>A top adviser to Mr. Fox says Mexico also should endorse a recent AFL-CIO initiative to grant an amnesty to illegal immigrants living in the U.S. An estimated eight million Mexicans live in the U.S., with about half believed to have entered without documents. While many are able to legalize their status through marriage or other means, the number of undocumented arrivals is growing faster than ever -- about 300,000 this year.</br></br>In comparison, the number of Mexicans entering with visas is small, about 70,000 a year, according to the adviser. Despite increased patrolling along the border, migrants keep crossing. Already this year, more than 100 migrants have died attempting to enter the U.S.