Illegal Immigrants in Mexico

I note that Ace and others are talking about the treatment illegal immigrants receive in Mexico. It's definitely true that Mexico takes illegal immigrants as seriously as the US does. I can't say that they take it more seriously, because most employment in Mexico is informal (40% according to this site, but I've heard up to 60%), and it's hard to enforce laws against employing illegals.

When travelling in the southern part of Mexico, near the border with Guatemala and Belize, it's not unusual to run into military checkpoints searching for illegals. Once when traveling near Oaxaca, I was in a bus that was stopped by the military for just this reason. I thought it stunning that when I asked my guide what the soldiers wanted, he told me 'they're looking for wetbacks.' I was amazed at the irony of a Mexican using this term.

It's certainly true that the US is more rigorous in protecting the rights of illegal immigrants than is Mexico.