Mexico to Offer Migrants Temporary Residency

Posted: Oct 20, 2016 8:45 PM PDT Updated: Oct 20, 2016 8:45 PM PDT



NEAR GRANJENO - Mexico plans to give people who live in the country illegally an opportunity to stay and work. Meanwhile, the immigration surge in the Rio Grande Valley continues.


Tens of thousands of people from Central America travel illegally through Mexico to the U.S. Some of them can’t cross and other get kicked out.


On the banks of the Rio Grande, a group eyes a CHANNEL 5 NEWS crew nervously.


Some of them said they got lost Wednesday night, went back to Mexico and crossed the river again. Others confirmed many were from Central America.


A Guatemalan man said he wants a better life for his boy and himself. He said he doesn’t really want to consider the idea of getting deported.


“It’s difficult in Mexico. There’s too much violence,” he said.


Many Central Americans said they want a chance to stay in the U.S. and be able to earn money. However, many others decide to stay in Mexico.


“We have high numbers of people from Central America, especially from Guatemala at the border. Their first intention was to cross to the U.S. for whatever reason they never did. So they stay in Mexico,” said Mexican Attorney Gerardo Acevedo Danache.


Another woman said she would stay in Mexico but still try to cross illegally to the U.S.


The new immigration rules will apply to people who went to Mexico before 2015 and are currently living there. The date is after the border surge in summer of 2014.


Danache said he expects more people will stay in Mexico because of the new rule.


CHANNEL 5 NEWS spoke with two South Texas Congressmen about the new opportunity Mexico is offering. Both had different views about what it could mean as the crisis on the border continues.


“These are folks from Central America who are seeking from very desperate and often violent situations. The fact that Mexico is going to be allowing them to work there and to build a life there is a positive thing,” said U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro.


U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar disagreed.


“Their main focus is to stay in Mexico, that’s one thing. But we know, quite honestly, a lot of them want to come into the United States,” he said. “And that’s going to be easy for them to come in over here.”


The new rule in Mexico is expected to go into effect at the beginning of 2017.

http://www.krgv.com/story/33442401/m...rary-residency