More and more, the illegal immigrants straining Arizona's border are coming from deep inside Mexico. Often, they're Central Americans crossing through Chiapas. To stem the tide, Chiapas needs jobs. The state has attracted a few maquiladoras , the foreign-owned manufacturing plants that are usually at the border. But it needs more investment, says Gov. Pablo Salazar, who made a recent swing through the Valley to pitch his state's economic potential.
More jobs also mean more customers for Arizona.
Mexico is our biggest market for exports. Until recently, the rebellion of leftist Zapatistas made putting money into Chiapas riskier than climbing Camelback Mountain blindfolded. But President Vicente Fox is changing the odds through his bold, and so far successful, efforts to reach peace. Both the rebels and the president deserve credit for winding down the conflict. But other conflicts are still simmering.