Mexicans in US sending less money home

Mexican immigrants in the United States are sending less of their income to family members in Mexico, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by the Center for Latin American Monetary Studies (CEMLA), found that Guatemalan immigrants remit more funds than any nationality, at 30 percent of their earnings.

{mosads}Mexicans sent 10.15 percent of their earnings in 2014, compared to 12.47 percent in 2007. The study attributes the reduction to reduced immigration from Mexico. In 2007, 2.4 percent of Mexican immigrants had lived in the United States for less than a year. By 2014, that number dropped to 1.2 percent.

Immigrants from Mexico and Central American countries who entered the United States before 2010 are also much more likely to send remittances, as are younger immigrants and those who have a mortgage.

Older and disabled immigrants, on the other hand, are much less likely to send remittances.

The percentage of income sent to Mexico also varied by state. Mexicans in Arizona and Nevada sent 4.5 percent of their income, while those in New York, Tennessee and South Carolina sent 15.6, 17.8 and 17.9 percent, respectively.

On average, immigrants send 10.7 percent of their income to their home countries.

In April, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump announced a plan to make Mexico pay for a border wall by impounding remittances.

“It’s an easy decision for Mexico,” Trump’s memo stated. “Make a one-time payment of $5–10 billion to ensure that $24 billion continues to flow into their country year after year.”

Cash remittances are important sources of income for developing economies. World Bank figures show that Mexico received $24 billion in remittances from the United States in 2015, more than the country received in tourism or oil revenue.

The study compared figures from the U.S. Census and Banco de Mexico, which is akin to the Federal Reserve.