TEXT OF STORY

Lisa Napoli: Governors from border states in the U.S. and Mexico are meeting today. Drug smuggling, illegal immigration and billions of dollars in trade are all on the agenda.

After immigration reform failed in Congress, the governors say border issues have never been more pressing. From the Americas Desk at WLRN, Marketplace’s Dan Grech has more.

Dan Grech: This may be the border governors’ most important meeting yet.

Lee Tablewski: The border is becoming both relevant and irrelevant.

That’s Lee Tablewski at the Institute of the Americas. Relevant, because migration is causing economic and political strains on both sides of the border. Irrelevant, because the Mexican and U.S. economies are increasingly intertwined.

Tablewski, who lives in San Diego, says striking teachers in Tijuana recently shut down the border crossing.

Tablewski: It was very painful. We didn’t realize just how interdependent we are with Mexico.

Border governors say they’re tired of waiting for Congress to do something about immigration.

Arizona, whose social services have been strained by migrant workers, passed a law punishing employers who hire illegal immigrants. It takes effect January 1st.

I’m Dan Grech for Marketplace.