Border Crossing Cards

The border zone, established in 1953, was intended to promote the economic stability of the border region by allowing for freer flow of travel for Mexican visitors with secure documents.

Border Crossing Cards are issued by the US state Department exclusively to citizens of Mexico as of 1998. Mexican nationals who have a Border Crossing Card (BCC) are not required to obtain a Form I–94 (a VISA) if their stay in the United States is less than 72 hours and they remain within 25 miles of the border (75 miles within Arizona). Arizona was extended to 75 miles to include the city of Tucson which contains a large share of Mexican Americans.

Just before his re-election , on August 13, 2004, GW Bush passed an interim rule which amended the Department of Homeland Security regulations to extend the period of time certain Mexican nationals may remain in the United States without obtaining additional immigration documentation. The new rule extended the time limit to allow BCC holders to remain in the United States for up to 30 days without being issued a Form I–94. The geographic limitations initially remained the same

In Tijuana it coincidentally arrived just as the murder rate in Tijuana soared, so many Baja Californias with the necessary wealth could essentially move into the border zone (up to 25 miles on the California side) where they could live and only have to return to Mexico every 30 days. In the desert in Imperial County, Interstate 8 is less than 7.5 miles from the border. Downtown San Diego is only 14 miles from the Mexican border.

This new rule was very positively received, and GW Bush received a record breaking (for a GOP candidate) 40% of the Latino vote (up from 35% for the year 2000).

In 2013 the Border Zone was extended to 55 miles in New Mexico to include most of Interstate 10 and Las Cruces, NM.

There is some discussion in Arizona to extend the Border Zone to 150 miles to include Phoenix, or even to include the entire state.

Obviously other candidates include San Antonio (175 miles) and even the big one, Los Angeles.

Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2010
28.8% San Diego City
32.0% San Diego County
48.5% Los Angeles City
47.7% Los Angeles County
37.6% California

41.6% Tucson City AZ
29.6% Arizona

So the BCC cards was established under the Clinton Presidency, enlarged considerably under GW Bush, and enlarged in New Mexico under the Obama Presidency. Do you think Trump or Hillary will change the rules (expand or contract)?




The Gadsden Purchase (known in Mexico as Spanish: Venta de La Mesilla) is a 29,670-square-mile region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed on December 30, 1853 by James Gadsden who was the American ambassador to Mexico at that time. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S. Senate on April 25, 1854, and signed by 14th President Franklin Pierce, with final approval action taken by Mexico's government and their General Congress or Congress of the Union on June 8, 1854. The purchase was the last territorial acquisition in the contiguous United States to add a large area to the country. This purchase aimed to reconcile outstanding border issues between the U.S. and Mexico following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the earlier Mexican–American War of 1846–48.

Quote: Pacomartin

So the BCC cards was established under the Clinton Presidency, enlarged considerably under GW Bush, and enlarged in New Mexico under the Obama Presidency. Do you think Trump or Hillary will change the rules (expand or contract)?

Probably one good idea would be to increase the return period to maybe 20-30 days? Seems like the spirit of the law is being broken. Would make sense to let it include agricultural areas of CA for guest workers. Because that would make sense, I doubt it would happen.

Quote:

The Gadsden Purchase (known in Mexico as Spanish: Venta de La Mesilla) is a 29,670-square-mile region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed on December 30, 1853 by James Gadsden who was the American ambassador to Mexico at that time. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S. Senate on April 25, 1854, and signed by 14th President Franklin Pierce, with final approval action taken by Mexico's government and their General Congress or Congress of the Union on June 8, 1854. The purchase was the last territorial acquisition in the contiguous United States to add a large area to the country. This purchase aimed to reconcile outstanding border issues between the U.S. and Mexico following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the earlier Mexican–American War of 1846–48.

Gadsden was also about railroad land, buying good, flat land so the railroads did not have to go thru mountains north of Phoenix. For those that have not traveled it, between Flagstaff and Phoenix is one long, long hill with several thousand feet of drop. At times going to Phoenix you would swear you could leave the car in neutral and coast while going the other way you swear you never get to the highest gear.

Thousands of acres were cut off this purchase by of all things the USA side! I have never seen a map showing what was dropped, but after the treaty hit the Senate floor they cut the acres off. Mexico had to have wondered WTF before the phrase was even invented, but who were they to complain.

There was an "All of Mexico" movement after the Civil War. It died over assimilation worries. I have heard that Santa Anna would have sold Baja if the price was right. Fairly safe to say if not for slavery in the USA there would not be a Mexico today.

Quote: AZDuffman

Fairly safe to say if not for slavery in the USA there would not be a Mexico today.

Well one could say "if not for slavery" there would not be a Canada today. The drive for expansion was essentially interrupted by the civil war. It almost certainly would have included Canada. After the US civil war, The Constitution Act, 1867, originally known as the British North America Act (BNA Act) was the law passed by the British Parliament creating the Dominion of Canada at Confederation. Britain realized that once USA got over the pangs of the war, they would turn their sights on the rest of BNA. By creating a country, the USA was much more apt to respect the boundaries.

Quote: AZDuffman

Probably one good idea would be to increase the return period to maybe 20-30 days? Seems like the spirit of the law is being broken. Would make sense to let it include agricultural areas of CA for guest workers..

Unlike many countries that only allow land sales to those with citizenship in the country, the United States treats sales of real estate to foreigners almost the same as sales to citizens. People admitted to the United States on a B2 Tourist Visa are usually issued a 6-month stay. The maximum length of stay for visitor visa holders is 6 months.

AFAIK, a wealthy Italian can buy property in the USA without applying for immigrant status. He can come and go as he pleases as Italy (like most wealthy countries) is part of the Visa Waiver Program. Presumably he cannot stay for more than 6 months at a time. But there is no requirement for how long he has to leave the country.

The difference with the Border Crossing Cards is that instead of 6 months it is 30 days, and the Border Zone is a restricted area (currently 25 miles in Texas and California, 55 miles in New Mexico, and 75 miles in Arizona).

The reality is that most people cannot afford a home in another country, especially if they can't earn an income. There may be only a few tens of thousands of people who moved across after 2004, and even fewer who actually bought property. I got the impression that some Tijuanese moved their family into the USA for safety, but returned to Mexico possibly daily to work. The vast majority of BCC holders cross the border for shopping, for work, or just to visit or party.

Nonimmigrant Visas Issued by Issuing Office (Including Border Crossing Cards for Mexico Only)

Issuing Office	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
Mexico City	270,270	286,079	287,167	209,551	237,824	305,675	374,923	357,975	347,082	332,482
Guadalajara	107,881	123,814	98,702	111,203	159,189	145,638	209,263	207,813	195,767	193,168
Merida	19,687	29,168	27,017	22,570	28,689	34,993	38,431	38,393	38,682	42,655
	397,838	439,061	412,886	343,324	425,702	486,306	622,617	604,181	581,531	568,305
Monterrey	197,088	189,487	168,598	139,759	200,861	262,902	399,556	354,087	323,667	334,513
Ciudad Juarez	59,505	72,971	101,830	119,393	109,875	133,751	153,270	140,839	158,300	173,176
Nuevo Laredo	18,885	44,190	37,820	35,558	55,288	61,471	64,176	58,411	60,663	69,521
Matamoros	60,335	89,185	80,192	48,957	57,379	88,167	120,176	85,406	88,220	78,063
Hermosillo	81,005	81,823	65,435	56,616	74,602	88,228	112,348	106,212	105,945	86,093
Nogales	44,055	43,161	30,892	31,173	37,135	45,201	47,757	35,621	40,289	49,565
Tijuana	60,925	67,859	64,341	92,819	172,816	150,598	176,200	129,012	125,565	128,012
	521,798	588,676	549,108	524,275	707,956	830,318	1,073,483	909,588	902,649	918,943
Ottawa	23,057	25,899	23,244	18,165	14,285	12,954	17,881	22,048	21,632	22,691
Calgary	8,390	10,468	9,292	9,615	10,322	12,848	14,771	20,569	35,840	36,516
Halifax	2,365	2,849	3,536	3,568	1,504	1,921	2,646	3,381	4,409	5,170
Montreal	12,646	11,372	9,407	9,710	10,011	8,242	14,567	15,760	19,299	16,755
Quebec	2,007	2,078	1,084	933	988	1,444	525	1,392	1,622	1,371
Toronto	50,708	48,242	37,475	41,936	33,829	40,692	56,385	65,617	75,249	77,730
Vancouver	27,496	32,883	33,246	28,674	32,713	38,003	44,431	55,090	54,996	56,329
	126,669	133,791	117,284	112,601	103,652	116,104	151,206	183,857	213,047	216,562

Quote: Donald J Trump from Pay for the Wall

Visa fees: Even a small increase in visa fees would pay for the wall. This includes fees on border crossing cards, of which more than 1 million are issued a year. The border-crossing card is also one of the greatest sources of illegal immigration into the United States, via overstays.
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/pay-for-the-wall

The 1 million per year is not easy to verify, as State Department does not distinguish as to kind of visa in the above stats. But as nearly a million visas are issued in the border region, it sounds OK. The Border Crossing Card traffic is enormous, an estimated 148 million entries in 2004. So no doubt overstays are numerous as well. But they may be only a few days.

Quote: Pacomartin

Well one could say "if not for slavery" there would not be a Canada today. The drive for expansion was essentially interrupted by the civil war. It almost certainly would have included Canada. After the US civil war, The Constitution Act, 1867, originally known as the British North America Act (BNA Act) was the law passed by the British Parliament creating the Dominion of Canada at Confederation. Britain realized that once USA got over the pangs of the war, they would turn their sights on the rest of BNA. By creating a country, the USA was much more apt to respect the boundaries.

Very possible but we had Mexico occupied already. While Mexicans would have become the major minority, had all of Mexico fallen the place would have been overrun by gringo desperados on the make. By 1900 it probably would have been assimilated.

Quote: AZDuffman

Very possible but we had Mexico occupied already. While Mexicans would have become the major minority, had all of Mexico fallen the place would have been overrun by gringo desperados on the make. By 1900 it probably would have been assimilated.

Population of USA in 1850 was 23 million, while of Mexico it was 7.5 million .

Then there are the "lost years" in Mexico. In 1910 population was 15.16 million while it was 15.28 million in 1925 and 16.55 million in 1930 . By 1930 US population was 122.78 million.

Who knows what would have happened if Mexico had remained under US control. Perhaps the revolution would have been worse.

Quote: Pacomartin

Population of USA in 1850 was 23 million, while of Mexico it was 7.5 million .

Then there are the "lost years" in Mexico. In 1910 population was 15.16 million while it was 15.28 million in 1925 and 16.55 million in 1930 . By 1930 US population was 122.78 million.

Who knows what would have happened if Mexico had remained under US control. Perhaps the revolution would have been worse.

After 1850 Irish and other European immigrants came in larger and larger numbers. Nobody came to Mexico.

I am just looking at the settlement of the frontier. Had Indians not fought with the South in the Civil War there might not have been the rush to settle said frontier, at least not as fast. But either way, history shows that during the 1800s, men went west and to any new place where a fortune could be made. It is easy to imagine the Feds wanting to Americanize Mexico so giving incentive to go down there and make your fortune, young man! A Homestead-Act-type 160 acres probably could not have worked for various reasons. But an 1849-type migration is easy to see.

Quote: AZDuffman

It is easy to imagine the Feds wanting to Americanize Mexico so giving incentive to go down there and make your fortune, young man! A Homestead-Act-type 160 acres probably could not have worked for various reasons. But an 1849-type migration is easy to see.

In 1850 Texas, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington had less than 400K people or 1.7% of the USA population. It may have been difficult to occupy a nation of 7.5 million.

Quote: Pacomartin

In 1850 Texas, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington had less than 400K people or 1.7% of the USA population. It may have been difficult to occupy a nation of 7.5 million.

The only real area a military would probably have needed to occupy would have been Mexico City and some other large cities. I still maintain that with a surge of Americans the Mexican culture would have been overwhelmed.

Quote: AZDuffman

The only real area a military would probably have needed to occupy would have been Mexico City and some other large cities. I still maintain that with a surge of Americans the Mexican culture would have been overwhelmed.

"Pobre México, tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos."- “Poor Mexico, So Far From God, So Close To The United States” -
Porfirion Diaz, (born 15 September 1830 - died 2 July 1915) Too young to fight in Mexican American war, he was a 21 year old hero in the the Battle of Puebla (5 May 1862). As a middle aged man he became a President with near dictatorial power. His life ended as Mexico fell into massive revolution.

Quote: Pacomartin

"Pobre México, tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos."- “Poor Mexico, So Far From God, So Close To The United States” -
Porfirion Diaz, (born 15 September 1830 - died 2 July 1915) Too young to fight in Mexican American war, he was a 21 year old hero in the the Battle of Puebla (5 May 1862). As a middle aged man he became a President with near dictatorial power. His life ended as Mexico fell into massive revolution.

Mexico always loved to blame their problem on the USA. They would never have been able to be an equal, the size difference along with the just better location and other advantages the USA had ensured that could never happen. However, the USA is not responsible for a Mexican government corrupt top to bottom.