Mexico: So Far, No Exodus From US To Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) – Mexico says the U.S. crackdown and economic crisis so far aren’t convincing large numbers of migrants to return home.

Last month, the Mexican government said the number of people trying to sneak into the U.S. illegally has dropped 42 percent over the last two years.

And many have assumed that more and more Mexicans would give up on the American dream and return home amid job cuts in the U.S.

But Mexico’s undersecretary for North American affairs says there are no signs that is happening.

At a news conference Monday, Carlos Rico says it is possible that immigrants will begin to flood home in the future as the crisis worsens.

He says some 12 million Mexicans live in the U.S. About half are believed to be illegal.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)