Second Wave Immigration

Second Wave of Mexican Immigration: Redefining the Immigration System
Amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act (1976) The year 1970 represents the beginning of the second wave of Mexican immigration, when Mexican immigrants officially started to become the most predominant of all immigrant groups entering the US. To minimize new immigrants from entering the US illegally, the US government sought to redefine the current immigration acts to respond to escalating trend. Further amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act were passed by Congress in 1976, an attempt to restrict Mexican immigration even more than before by making labor certification requirements for employment visas stricter and officially places a fixed ceiling on

Ultimately, migration flows steadily rose in the mid 1990’s, peaked at the end of the decade only to decline after 2001 before returning to steady levels once more. After the 9/11 attacks of 2001, the legal immigration process made it more difficult for Mexicans to enter and reside in the US. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 was meant to dissolve the prior Immigration and Naturalization Service in exchange for the new Department of Homeland Security, which would oversee naturalization processes and visas. The formation of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency under the Homeland Security Act impacted immigration policies because it allowed President George W. Bush to strengthen national security enforcement through the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 and the Secure Border Initiative of 2005. The Secure Fence Act of 2006 demanded for more surveillance and the construction of 700 miles of double fencing along the Border. These reforms promoted the facilitation of data collection on migrants and increased government power in detaining and deporting unauthorized Mexicans. Moreover, the Homeland Security Act was the first immigration policy to halt the escalating immigration trend. Its strict border

The ineffectiveness of the United States’ original 20th century Immigration and Nationality Acts and work programs for Mexican migrants, contributed to the gradual rise in Mexican immigration trends from the 1940s-1990s. And the United States’ reforms of its previous immigration policies and its increase in border enforcement during the Bush and Obama Administration, effectively led the nation into the decline the Mexican immigration trend into the 21st century. Although it is in the US’s best interest to minimize the influx of immigration patterns into its country, it must also take into account its ability to protect its temporary Mexican residents. If the US is going to continue increasing its control and militarization of the border, it should also provide alternatives for Mexicans seeking an escape from the emerging drug war. For the future, US immigration reforms should be reformed along with the changes in the socioeconomic conditions of the US but those of Mexico as