Undocumented Migration from Mexico: Some Geographical Questions

Although undocumented Mexican immigrants in the United States are highly concentrated in California and Texas, their locations have become increasingly dispersed in recent years. The most rapid growth in apprehensions by U.S. authorities is now occurring outside the Southwest. Furthermore, the already-dispersed patterns of migrant origins in Mexico are becoming more so over time. Thus the phenomenon of undocumented flows is spreading spatially in both the U.S. and Mexico. Historic factors promoting migrant channelization are being supplanted by factors promoting dispersion: increased migrant job awareness and capability, a liberalization of U.S. immigration enforcement, and generally worsening conditions in rural Mexico.