Speech #1090133934

We ought to provide countries such as Guatemala. Mexico. and others an opportunity to do business with the United States in a way that will help them develop their economy. so their people can stay home and enjoy their culture and their country and their family and not feel compelled to leave permanently to come to the United States and never return home. Some have said that. well. what attracts countries such as Mexico to massive illegal immigration of its own citizens is the fact that this last year they received $20 billion in remittances. that is. savings that workers from Mexico earned in the United States while working in the shadows. in the cash economy. in the black market. so to speak. They sent that money home to their family to help support them. Recently. though. a high official in the Mexican Government pointed out to me that it is not a benefit to countries such as Mexico to see their people leave just to send maybe 10 percent or 15 percent of their money or savings back home because if you look at the economic activity that occurs in the United States. they would much rather have that economic activity occur in their country of origin.