U.S.-Mexican Trade in Winter Vegetables and Illegal Immigration.

This paper presents an integrated approach to U.S.-Mexican trade in a labor-intensive commodity (fresh winter tomatoes) and illegal immigration of agricultural labor. A seven-equation econometric model is developed that includes excess demand (U.S. import) and supply (Mexican export) equations for fresh winter tomatoes, U.S. demand and Mexican supply equations for apprehensible individuals, intercountry price and wage relationship equations, and a U.S. Border Patrol apprehension effort equation. The empirical results indicate that both U.S. and Mexico economic conditions affect the number of apprehended illegal Mexican aliens. The results also indicate that immigration and trade policies affect apprehensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]