Sixty representatives of organizations of migrants from the state of Puebla asked Mexican state and federal authorities to help provide security for those who need to cross the border into the United States illegally. The hazardous border crossing has cost the lives of at least 1,500 Mexicans from Puebla in the last five years. Last year alone, 287 died while seeking the American dream.

The migrant leaders, coming from U.S. cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Antonio, also pressed the Mexican authorities with the need and the convenience to open a regional bank that would make sending money transfers easier and less expensive. Currently around 25 percent of these money transfers end up in the hands of money changers, said representatives Alfonso Zapata, Rubel Gil, Guadalupe Cabrera, Jesus Salas, and Jorge Metei, among others.

State authorities took advantage of the presence of migrant leaders to present them with investment opportunities such as the creation of greenhouses and job development by setting up small businesses – in Puebla there are currently 24 projects throughout the Mixteca zone – as well as the opportunity to buy houses in Mexico from the United States, in order to realize the dream of many immigrants.

The migrant leaders insisted on the necessity of protecting the rights of Mexicans who leave their home country in search of a better life for themselves and their families, and sometimes their whole communities. Many immigrants invest in roads and basic services for their hometowns, so the leaders stressed the importance of guaranteeing their human rights and labor rights across the border.