Government economists in Mexico City have warned President Calderón that a total collapse of the U. S. economy could result in a mass illegal invasion of Mexico by U. S. citizens looking for work picking crops.
They have pointed out the serious social and economic consequences that would result from such an invasion and have urged the President to begin preparing now to meet the crisis in case it should it occur, which they see as ever more likely. Their proposals include the start of work on a border-long fence designed to stop U. S. migrant workers from crossing into Mexican territory in the first place. “Once they're here,” one prominent economist warned, “dealing with them in a compassionate way will become increasingly problematic.”