Obama administration makes a play for support in battleground state of New Mexico

Janet Napolitano

Houston Chronicle - Call it an election-year economic stimulus along the U.S.-Mexico border — or a convenience for citizens of Mexico who frequently travel into the United States to shop and visit family. The Obama administration has unveiled plans to widen the so-called border zone into the United States from 25 miles to 55 miles in New Mexico to enable Mexican citizens with border crossing cards to reach interior communities without completing cumbersome, time-consuming paperwork.  The standard border zone along the 1,969-mile U.S. Mexico border has been 25 miles  into the United States. Officials extended the border zone in Arizona to 75 miles in 1999.   The border zone in Texas and California extends only 25 miles into those states. The Department of Homeland Security said the proposed change in federal regulations would enable border card holders to travel up to 55 miles into New Mexico to the towns of Deming and Las Cruces, N.M., “stimulating commerce, trade and tourism activity in the area.” “The proposed extension of the border zone in New Mexico, when finalized, will provide significant economic benefits to many of the smaller communities along the border while maintaining ample safeguards to prevent illegal entry into the United States,” said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. Napolitano was twice elected governor of Arizona before taking over leadership of the Department of Homeland Security. The change means that Mexican citizens with the expedited travel border crossing card won’t need to fill out the U.S. immigration form I-94 to go beyond the 25 mile border zone. Read More News New Mexico

Obama administration makes a play for support in battleground state of New Mexico