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It was the other way around.

When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, the territories it possessed included present-day Mexico, most of Central America (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) as well as today's US States of California, Nevada, Utah, Texas and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

After the Texas Revolution (1835-1836) and the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) Mexico lost all its northern territories to the US, adding more than 50,000 Mexicans to the American population. Also, during the following 60-70 years, there was almost free transit between Mexico and the United States, with people from Mexico working on the southwest, mainly as laborers and cowhands. After the Emergency Quota Act of 1918, many restrictions were applied, and after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, further restrictions were enforced. This prompted many people who were ineligible to work on the United States, to enter the country illegally.

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11y ago

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