Mexico’s President Vicente Fox met with New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson and Texas Governor Rick Perry while on a three day tour of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas last week to lobby for a migration pact with the United States that would strengthen economic and social ties between the neighboring countries. 

Also last week, the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs said he would like to make migration of Mexicans to the United States part of the North American Free Trade Agreement. 

In Arizona, President Fox called for a bilateral effort to lessen the high death rate of migrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border.  He then praised New Mexico’s Governor Richardson for his aid to undocumented Mexican migrants.  New Mexico is the first state to recognize the validity of the matricula consular, an identification document issued by the Mexican government that migrants may now use to obtain U.S. bank accounts and driver’s licenses. 

Arizona leaders have already taken steps to accomplish several goals, including expanding trade with Mexico and creating a guest-worker program.