LA Taco: More Americans Are Immigrating to Mexico--While Mexicans Stay Away from the U.S

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According to a report by Travel and Tour World, air travel from Mexico to the United States decreased by nearly 10% this past spring, with business travel down a significant 19%. And it’s not just Mexico—international tourism across the board is down. In the first quarter of 2025, foreign arrivals to the U.S. dropped by almost 9%, and international visitor spending is projected to fall by $12.5 billion this year alone.

Meanwhile, the U.S.'s once-massive cultural influence appears to be waning. A recent Pew Research poll found that Mexican public opinion of the U.S. has sharply declined since Trump returned to office. And it’s not just about politics—it’s the whole package: immigration raids, mass shootings, inflation, and the anxiety of just existing in public spaces. It's enough to make an Ensenada summer sound a lot more laid-back.

I spoke with a white developer, who asked not to disclose their real name. They left the U.S. for Mexico City after the Trump tariff war started. Now they are working on their cutting-edge AI app in a gentrifying neighborhood of Mexico City. Working-class Mexicans call U.S. immigrants working remotely in Mexico and earning dollars "digital nomads," blaming them in protests for rising living costs in Mexico City.

They told me point blank, “America is a dystopia right now, and here, it's just so normal. Like the stuff happening over there barely registers,” they told me. “And I’m telling you right now, none of my rich friends are even thinking about going to America anytime soon. Normally, they’d be spending all this money in the U.S. for the summer. Now they’re just vacationing in Europe, or here, or other places in Latin America.