The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico said Monday night he would like to make migration of Mexicans to the United States part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

More than 500 gathered in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union to hear Luis Ernesto Derbez, an ISU alumnus, speak on the economic relationship between the United States and Mexico.

“I hope you don’t mind if I speak in English,” Derbez joked after Michael Whiteford, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, welcomed the audience in Spanish.

Derbez spoke mainly on the issues of migration between the United States and Mexico, security concerns and the benefit the NAFTA agreement has had on both nation’s economies.

“Since signing the NAFTA agreement, the economic situation has been significant,” Derbez said. “The numbers speak for themselves.”

Since 1994 regional trade between the three North American countries has increased by 128 percent, he said.

Derbez offered the suggestion of making migration a part of the NAFTA agreement.

“We need to talk about the trading of people because our two societies are merging,” he said.

Derbez said he was concerned about the number of Mexicans who have died trying to cross the border.

“Current policies have led to increased number of deaths in border crossings,” he said, referring to American border control policies.

He said the border today is a wall — not an imaginary wall, but a physical wall, and people are still finding ways to cross it.

The most recent concern is the availability for people to make up to $10,000 per person by transporting migrants over the border,

“The process of passing people into the U.S. is a very serious issue in terms of organized crime,” he said. “It is dangerous and goes against the security in both nations.”

Derbez called on the need to create a framework for migration. First he proposed an increase in the number of visas issued by the United State yearly. He also stressed the need for strong temporary worker programs and legal certainty for workers.

Without adequate programs the migrant problem will remain, he said.

“The links between Iowa and Mexico are strong,” Derbez said. “Towns are going through revival because of migrants.”

Derbez is familiar with the Ames area, having earned his doctorate in economics from Iowa State in 1980. Before becoming the secretary of foreign affairs, Derbez served as Mexico’s Economic Minister. For 14 years he worked for the World Bank where he directed multilateral economic assistance and structural adjustment programs in Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala.

Rachael Abbott, sophomore in Spanish, said she thought Derbez’s speech was a great opportunity for students to learn about these concerns from a different perspective.

“He is very up-to-date, but obviously a little biased,” said Victor Cervino, senior in political science.