As with polls and other statistical data, this information must be taken with a grain of salt.
The total population in Mexico has actually increased apparently based on the last census figures. But that certainly doesn't in any way point to a reduction of the influx of Mexicans, legal or otherwise, into this country.
As a former 45 year border resident, from what I have heard from many in the border states, you could have fooled them.
In fact, due to the current economy the hiring of illegal immigrants has never been higher. Employers are cutting back on expenditures in favor of amassing as much profit as possible, and hiring cheaper labor is one area that has seen a boom no matter what the U.S. economy brings.
Many of the Iraq war veterans in Arizona have come home to find their jobs have been outsourced to illegal immigrants.
Its the bottom line costs that those Chamber of Commerce members are concerned with, and contract illegal labor is cheaper than U.S. labor due simply to the taxes and other costs involved in "buying American."
In fact, recently the legislators from Sonora visited the Mayor of Tucson due to the shortage of labor for some of their area residents. It has hit the border towns more so than the major metropolitan cities due to the shear fact of the number of Mexican residents that live in the border towns who then seek employment in the U.S.
In fact, the census figures show a boom in growth particularly in the Mexican border towns.
Instead of going to Mexico's government, these legislators chose to present their grievances to the Mayor of Tucson.
And it doesn't appear that the drug cartels business has in any way been affected, in fact it is booming due to all those customers they created selling their wares in front of local high schools and middle schools in the border states during the 80's and 90's.
Their profits are so high that recently it was disclosed in the Mexican newspapers that the chief drug czar for the Mexican government was accused of accepting over $450,000 per month for his assistance in marketing their wares.
It appears the Mexican media must mirror our own.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/15/us/15immig.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=igw
