Population Boom in Texas as Mexicans Flee Border Violence

The Texas cities of Mission and El Paso are experiencing a population and business boom, as thousands of Mexicans flee violence in the border states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Chihuahua, according to a story in yesterday's Mexico City daily Reforma.

The newspaper reports that many of the newcomers arrive with investor visas, which the United States provides to persons who bring job-creating investments with them. My colleague David North has written frequently about the EB-5 investor program; for his blogs postings on it, see here.

The Reforma story quotes the city manager of the South Texas city of Mission, Julio Cerdo, hailing the arrival of "good friends" from south of the border. "They're coming to us and investing here in Mission," said Cerda. Mayor Norberto Salinas said 70 percent of Mission's new homes belong to the newcomers.

There is a similar boom in El Paso, according to the story, which reports that the year-old Network of Mexican Businessmen Living in El Paso has seen its membership grow to 235 because of the flight from the neighboring Mexican city of Juarez.

"Juarez is no-man's land," the organization's president told the newspaper. The network's members include restaurateurs, accountants, and professionals in real estate and finance.