Houston Chronicle:

...George Grayson, a Mexico expert at the College of William and Mary, said the guide sends a message that the Mexican government endorses illegal immigration.

"It is a wink and a nod to illegal immigrants," Grayson said. "How would they feel if the Guatemalans published a guide on how to get into Mexico?"

Anti-immigration groups in the United States sharply criticized the Mexican government for publishing the pamphlet, saying it shows a flagrant disregard for U.S. border regulations.

"It is a thinly disguised how-to-do-it guide," said Robert Goldsborough, president of Americans for Immigration Control, a lobby group...

Barry Morrissey, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said it was surprising the Mexican government had released the pamphlet, considering joint U.S.-Mexican efforts on the border to discourage dangerous illegal crossings.

"I haven't seen the booklet, but based on what I've heard I certainly wouldn't endorse its message," Morrissey said.

A Homeland Security official who asked not to be named said, "It was a shock to us to hear of this." He said government-to-government contacts were being made seeking an explanation from Mexico.

But U.S. State Department spokesman Noel Clay said he was not aware of any talks with Mexico on the pamphlet.

"We have not commented to the Mexican government on this issue," he said...

...Rick Oltman of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, a Washington, D.C., lobby, alleged that Mexico encourages illegal immigration because of the money Mexican workers send home.

Last year, Mexicans living in the United States sent a record $15 billion to their loved ones back home, providing Mexico with its second biggest source of foreign revenue after oil.

Undersecretary Gutierrez flatly denied the allegations.

"The Mexican government in no way encourages emigration," he said. "This administration had been pushing for economic reforms to encourage growth so that Mexicans won't leave their homeland."

Rene Mejia, Mexican consul in Laredo, where the pamphlet will be distributed, said the Mexican government had always given out advice like that found in the pamphlet. The only thing new is the comic-book format, which is designed to gain a wider readership, Mejia said.

"The Mexican government in no way encourages emigration." You really gotta hand it to these people.