Why do people illegally immigrate to America from Mexico?

It does but the process is longer and there are fees.

So they would much rather circumvent the waiting list of people who want to LEGALLY immigrate to the US and not pay any legal fees, and just hop the border. Then they wonder why people dislike them.

Because in order to get a passport and a green card you need a lot of money and connections, something that is out of reach for the majority of Mexico's impoverished population. The US immigration system is an outdated monstrosity of a bureaucracy that places it's priorities in helping multinational corporations obtain green cards for high salary jobs rather then helping real people who want to come here and live the dream. That is why Bush, McCain, Obama, Pelosi, Reid, and every other politician with their head halfway straight have been pushing for a new immigration bill that actually fixes this corrupt and broken system.

it can take along time to get a passport or a visa, and it could be expensive. also, people could be doing it for illegal reasons, so not having there identities registered may not be a good idea for them

also,if people are hunted by criminal orginizations, if they owe people money, they might go under cover,or if they are really sick with a contagious disease, they would not be let in so they come illegally

There are a lot of problems with drugs cartels and organised crime in mexico, it isnt suprising that normal people get caught in the crossfire or are so afraid of such a crime ridden country that they want to leave quicker than just trying through legal channels.

Also, often they have no access to the information or money required to go through the official immigration channels, being so desperately poor may mean they are desperate to try alternatives.

How do jobless and unemployed Mexicans suddenly can come with thousands of dollars to be smuggled into America, but back home they cannot scrap up enough money for one meal , but they do have access to thousands of dollars to come here.Why do you think mexico does not even secure their side of the border.To many cartels keep going to same place in mexico to cross over, with no oversight by Mexico. Mexico cares about one this, greed and corruption are the highlights of that country. Money comes before anything else there.

Do you know anything about Mexico? If you were poor, jobless, you would want to move here desperately, even if you had to come in illegally.

Mexico is so corrupt, it's government has fail most of its people. The poor people's voice are not being heard. And it's not like they can stand up and fight for their rights, it's not America. And so they come here. The US has made it easy for them to come here illegally. Many hire them. Many need them. the US needs them.

Because they can come here live 12 in a house and send the money left over to family in Mexico.Our money goes farther there then it does here.Plus they can get food stamps,welfare,free housing..things they can not get in Mexico.

Because to get a passport you would have to have a means to do so, and that doesn't exist for the majority of mexicans. In order to get a visa, you have to get the approval of the country you enter -- also unlikely.

The waiting period for a legal immigrant to come to this country from Mexico can be as long as 12 years.

So far everyone has hit the variouse nails on the heads. Here's a couple of fun ones I found while doing a paper about Illegal Immigration.

1) Armando Navarro, Prof. Ethnic Studies, UC Riverside at Latino Summit Response to Prop 187, UC Riverside, 1/1995

"These are the critical years for us as a Latino community. We're in a state of transition. And that transformation is called 'the browning of America'. Latinos are now becoming the majority. Because I know that time and history is on the side of the Chicano/Latino community. It is changing in the future and in the present the balance of power of this nation. It's a game - it's a game of power - who controls it. You (to MEChA students) are like the generals that command armies. We're in a state of war. This Proposition 187 is a declaration of war against the Latino/Chicano community of this country. They know the demographics. They know that history and time is on our side. As one community, as one people, as one nation within a nation as the community that we are, the Chicano/Latino community of this nation. What this means is a transfer of power. It means control."

2) Art Torres, former CA state senator, currently Chair of California Democrat Party at UC Riverside 1/1995

"Que viva la causa! It is an honor to be with the new leadership of the Americas, here meeting at UC Riverside. So with 187 on the ballot, what is it going to take for our people to vote - to see us walking into the gas ovens? It is electoral power that is going to make the determination of where we go as a community. And power is not given to you -- you have to take it. Remember: 187 is the last gasp of white America in California. Understand that. And people say to me on the Senate floor when I was in the Senate, 'Why do you fight so hard for affirmative action programs?' And I tell my white colleagues, 'because you're going to need them.'"

3) Jose Angel Gutierrez, Prof. Univ. Texas at Arlington, founder La Raza Unida Party at UC Riverside 1/1995

"The border remains a military zone. We remain a hunted people. Now you think you have a destiny to fulfill in the land that historically has been ours for forty thousand years. And we're a new Mestizo nation. And they want us to discuss civil rights. Civil rights. What law made by white men to oppress all of us of color, female and male. This is our homeland. We cannot - we will not- and we must not be made illegal in our own homeland. We are not immigrants that came from another country to another country. We are migrants, free to travel the length and breadth of the Americas because we belong here. We are millions. We just have to survive. We have an aging white America. They are not making babies. They are dying. It's a matter of time. The explosion is in our population."

4) Mario Obledo, founding member/former nat'l director of Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), former CA Sect'y Health/Welfare on Tom Leykis radio talk show

"We're going to take over all the political institutions in California. In five years the Hispanics are going to be the majority population of this state." Caller: "You also made the statement that California is going to become a Hispanic state and if anyone doesn't like it they should leave - did you say that?" Obledo: "I did. They ought to go back to Europe."

5) Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico announcing the Mexican constitutional amendment allowing for dual citizenship on 6/23/97

"I have proudly affirmed that the Mexican national extends beyond the territory enclosed by its borders, and that Mexican migrants are an important - a very important part of it. For that reason my government proposed a constitutional amendment to allow any Mexican with the right as he desires to acquire another nationality to do so without being forced to first give up his or her Mexican nationality. fortunately, the amendment was passed almost unanimously by our federal Congress and is now part of our constitution. I am also here today to tell you that we want you to take pride in what each and every one of your Mexican brothers and sisters are doing back home.