The US Congress has returned to work this week, seemingly with little in the way of hope that any proposed overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws will be undertaken.
While budget battles and the crisis in Syria are partly responsible, one of the major reasons for the lack of progress is the fear that providing a path to citizenship for the undocumented immigrants already living in the United States will only encourage more Mexicans to illegally cross the border. That fear may, however, be unfounded given that the last nine months have seen startling progress made in Mexico in putting an end to partisan gridlock. As a result there is now an unexpected multiparty political consensus that has been passing one reform after another in a plan to lift almost 50% of the country out of poverty.
A revamp of tax policy is the latest proposed reform, with the country’s Congress having already passed a number of other reforms including the breaking of entrenched powers in broadcasting, telecommunications and public education in addition to removing immunity from criminal prosecution for officials. These steps have been called “transformational” by the Mexican President and it is hoped they will all be completed by the end of this year.
Poor growth has been the primary reason why so many Mexicans are driven to enter the United States, and many see these reforms as being of vital importance to the attempt at immigration reform there.