America's receding economy is also slowing down immigration as the number of Mexican immigrants crossing the border into the U.S. has dropped to its lowest number in ten years.
    
The number of people migrating from Mexico fell by 249,000 from March 2008 to March 2009, according to The Pew Hispanic Center census data.

The study suggests America's rising unemployment and lack of jobs for Latino immigrants caused the 60 percent drop.
    
But the data also said many immigrants already in the U.S. are staying and hoping the economy improves and immigration reform will pave the way for citizenship.

Mexico is by far the leading country of origin for U.S. immigrants. However, the Mexican-born population in the U.S. was 11.5 million in early 2009.

According to additional data from the U.S. Border Patrol, the number of Mexicans trying to cross illegally into the U.S. decreased by a third between 2006 and 2008.