Numerous Latin American governments have voiced displeasure over the changing immigration policies in the United States.  Diplomats from eleven Latin American nations are joining together to lobby Washington in hopes of defeating a bill that will include a fencing project along the U.S.–Mexico Border.  The countries, which see U.S. policy shifts as an overreaction to terrorism, argue that closing off immigration along the Mexican border will be problematic for both the United States and Latin America.

The Mexican border serves as an entry point for not only Mexican citizens, but all of Latin America.  Critics of the proposed fencing project argue that the fencing project expresses a lack of appreciation for the contribution that immigrant workers make to the U.S. economy.  Undocumented migrant workers also play a key role in their own countries by pumping American dollars back into their home economies. 

The coalition of diplomats has demanded that the United States create guest-worker programs and legalize undocumented immigrants, as well as voicing displeasure over proposals for tougher border enforcement.  The controversial bill has already passed in the House and will be voted on by the Senate in the upcoming month.