We killed the paper where we had extensive coverage of the issue in 2017. Yes, it was that tax law.

However, the drivers are not just a bad economy, or political persecution. As far as the golden triangle in Central America is concerned, and will increase in the Bajío Central (that’s Mexico) is climate change. A deep driver is crop failures because rains are far less predictable. So are hurricanes that devastated local economies.

Until we deal with all the forces at play, it will continue. And by we, I mean the Americas, not just the US. And building an immense hi security prison in El Salvador is just a very short term fix.

And we do need immigration reform, and we need those younger workers doing the work we don’t want to do. It ranges from back breaking agricultural work, to yes, food service and hotels (most hotel maids are immigrants. Incidentally the ratio of people with papers and not varies) and health care aids, for our growing population of elderly. Without immigration the US would see a reversal in population growth with real economic negative effects, because we are not having that many kids.

And yes, most people come with green cards actually. And no, the argument but my grandparents and Ellis Island are not that valid since people did not really go through even close to the legal obstacle track that started after that phase, around 1925 or so. And that obstacle course has just gotten both more costly and more difficult.

As an aside, most Americans could not pass the citizen exam, or in some ways appreciate how the government works, as in actually works.

A little side fact, because the first Mexican constitution (1824) was ours, with a few changes…it’s retained the three branches of government. So that was easy as pie. However, the era of new Republics adopting something similar to ours ended around the mid 19th century. There are very real reasons for that. The winner take all for elections is one of the big ones.