While many Mexicans have taken to social media to comment on the increase in the number of U.S. citizens living in certain parts of Mexico, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador raised the issue directly with United States President Joe Biden.
However, the conversation between the two leaders wasn’t an overly serious one, AMLO revealed at his Monday morning press conference.
With a wry smile on his face, López Obrador remarked that he told Biden that his government was thinking about being “more rigorous” in the issuance of visas to Americans.
Before breaking into a hearty laugh, he added that he told the U.S. president that he was thinking about “reserving the right of admission” for Americans, “because Mexico is paradise, Eden.”
When a reporter sought to confirm that he had been joking with Biden, AMLO responded:
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, because we have a very good relationship, we’re brother nations, we’re neighbors.”
While recounting the same conversation with Biden, López Obrador remarked that large numbers of estadounidenses (Americans) are coming to Mexico City “because it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
“We’re all aware that a lot of Americans are coming to Mexico City to live, to the whole country; Yucatán, Jalisco, Baja California Sur,” he added.
“They’re building their houses, … many, many, many [of them],” AMLO said.
Mexico’s 2020 census found that more than 381,000 immigrants from the United States were living in Mexico, while the U.S. Department of State reported in 2022 that 1.6 million U.S. citizens were living here.
The latter figure includes Americans living in Mexico on tourist visas.
Among that cohort are many retirees, such as so-called snowbirds, and digital nomads. A significant number of Americans working remotely have moved into trendy Mexico City neighborhoods such as Condesa and Roma.
Some Mexicans have expressed concerns about the influx of digital nomads to certain parts of the capital during and after the pandemic, asserting that their presence has pushed up rents — a claim backed up by data compiled by the real estate website propiedades.com — and driven locals out of desirable neighborhoods.
Mexicans have also complained that Americans and other foreigners are turbocharging gentrification in other parts of the country.
For his part, López Obrador declared last September that Mexico City is “full of Americans.”
“That didn’t happen before. Now you go to a restaurant in La Roma, Colonia Del Valle, Polanco [or] Condesa — those who go to restaurants tell me — and half the tables are taken by Americans, and people even complain that prices have gone up,” he said.
“… There were a lot of them in the Zócalo for the Cry of Independence. And we’re pleased that they participate, that they integrate themselves into the life of Mexico, they’re welcome,” AMLO said.
On Monday, after recounting his jocular conversation with Biden, López Obrador said that “the only thing” he wants is for Mexico and the U.S. to be “good neighbors.”
“… I’ve said it many times, we should integrate more economically,” he said before noting that Mexico is the United States’ top trade partner.
“We need each other, we complement each other,” AMLO added.
Mexico News Daily
* Interested in reading more about Americans and other foreigners in Mexico and Mexicans’ view on their presence? Check out these previous MND articles.
- Is there an emerging anti-foreigner backlash happening in Mexico?
- But wait, Mexicans do want us here, don’t they?
- Foreign invasion brings changes to Mexico City boroughs
- Changes brought by influx of foreigners in Oaxaca a cause for concern: study
- U.S. citizens moving to Mexico in record numbers, govt. data shows
If you are counting US citizens in Mexico don’t forget that Mexicans born in the US to Mexican Citizen parents and now living full time in Mexico are in that number as well.
It took me two days to get my Mexican permanent resident visa via family union. My Mexican wife and I are 16 months into obtaining her US residency. Something is just not right.
The system is broken. USA citizens wait in light 2-6 hours to cross the border but cartels have their people in place. Persons wanting to visit with a visa should be able to get one the same day. Persons who want to work in the USA and live in the UMS should be able to do so without delay as long as the USA government decrees that there is a need for them. Taking months to bring one’s spouse across with a visa begs for overthrow of the government.
Overthrow the government?
Once she gets US residency Adios Mexico. Funny but often true. Locals always laugh that us dummies are down here when they dream of being in the US.
The grass is always greener on the other side
How did you do that?
It took me two years to get my temporary and then five years to get my permanent. Without translators allowed. I had to prove I had $140k usd (now $160k) for 12 months minimum to prove I could support myself and double that if I was married. Gringos are banned from owning land within 100 kilometers from the north and south borders. Gringos can only own land on coastlines within 100 kilometers with a bank trust and NEVER own any farm land ANYWHERE.. EVER. And as far as Mexican Citizenship.. the test is designed for me to fail and be warned of the taxation if you do pass. Every bit of which would be called RACIST and Xenophobic in the USA.
From where hail “MND Staff” that Mexicans are not known to be “Americans”?
Everywhere in the world that understands the science of plate tectonics. Mexico doesn’t do itself any favors pretending that a 100 year old scientific discovery didn’t happen.
North America, Central America, South America…it seems that the discoveries in plate tectonics has failed to affect the nomenclature.
The only way you can get to 1.6 million is combining 400,000 kids with US passports living across Mexico (previously reported here’s), around 700,000 on Mexican-issued resident visas, and the rest would be longer-stay tourist visa holders. Mexico issues around 20,000 residente visas a year, and not all will stay. Others given visas years ago are no longer with us. So the real figure is unknown. But will no doubt grow as the US has no viable senior care model for the future.
To think he brings this up because several hundred thousand Americans want to live in beautiful Mexico. They buy houses (I did) they spend their money (I do) and they love the culture and people (I do). Now on the flipside, the US is dealing with a sea of millions of illegals bringing everything but money. We now house them and provide them with all kinds of aid. Maybe Amlo should recognize reality and appreciate the situation instead of crack jokes but it seems to me he has a bit of disdain towards the Gringo.
None of that is true.. The 6th largest economy in the world is California and 40% of that is provided by latinos. Do you think the expats that make up a measly .5% of the population of Mexico and refuse to pay income tax make any imact on the Mexican economy? No. I bet you don’t like feeling insignificant though do you so you insist on this myth.
The joke is that the United States is the only country (that I know of) that routinely lets “illegal” aliens into the country and gives them santuary. No other country breakes its own imigration laws.
I’m sure AMLO understands that Mexico only attracts poor Americans. I believe the new word is Mexico offers “affordability.”
The 5000 sq ft house here still means poor in California.
With the latest financial requirements being around $4,000 a month income (per person) to get even a temporary resident visa, Mexico is hardly attracting poor Americans. That is way more than the median US citizen income! I guess those coming–and staying illegally–could be poor…
If Mexico wanted to enforce their immigration policies, a large number of US citizens currently living in Mexico with no documentation would be impacted. Somehow, the attitude that it’s unnecessary to respect Mexico’s laws regarding immigration is rampant. Many of these undocumented living in Mexico can’t meet the minimum financial requirements to get residency, much less afford to live in the US on their income.
Mexican immigration did go through a short period a couple of years ago of being more rigorous before automatically handing out six months tourist visas, requiring evidence of accommodations and return flights.