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Punishing Mexican Immigrants
Digital History ID 3698


Date:1930

Annotation: In 1929, it became a felony to immigrate into the United States from Mexico without documentation. In this document, a journalist describes the treatment that these immigrants faced.


Document: The Border Patrol, in other words, the Immigration Service Agents who are in charge of chasing down those who break laws of that particular branch, are individuals who treat unfortunate Mexicans who come into this country illegally, as though they were perverse criminals and assassins, and that is why they interrogate them and treat them roughly. They handcuff them, and there have been confirmed cases in which they have been mistreated….

A law has been passed so that women and children are not incarcerated, but others placed under the custody of the Mexican Red Cross, which has one of its brigades in McAllen….

Source: Enrique Santibonez, Ensayo acera de la immigracion Mexicana en los Estados Unidos (San Antonio, 1930), 68-70

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