When it comes to illegal immigration from Mexico, the United States should consider backing little loans to the poorest of the poor. Expanding microcredit programs could help many of Mexico's struggling citizens escape poverty and persuade them to remain in their homeland.

That's the thinking of Grameen de la Frontera and BanComún, two microcredit organizations operating in Sonora. Both banks are modeled somewhat on the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, whose founder, economist Mohammad Yunus, last month was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for helping to alleviate poverty in his country.

Microcredit banks, also known as "poverty banks," lend money to the poorest of the poor, many living on less than $1 a day. The small loans allow borrowers to buy a few animals or food-making equipment or a sewing machine — something that can make a significant difference in income.

The notion that microcredit can reduce illegal immigration is only a theory, but it makes sense. If Mexico's poor are given the opportunity to earn a living at home, they are less likely to illegally enter the United States.

"It seems to me, it's the poor who immigrate — at least illegally. The middle class and wealthy don't talk about coming to the United States," said Marshall Saunders, a San Diego retiree who founded Grameen de la Frontera in 1999. "To have a chance of stopping illegal immigration, or at least slowing it down, people in Mexico need to have a good economy."

That's where microcredit comes in. Grameen de la Frontera's initial loan to individuals is 1,000 pesos, or about $92. Borrowers have six months to repay at 25 percent annual interest. They are also forced to save 20 percent of their loan amount, which is returned to them when the loan is paid.

What makes Grameen de la Frontera and BanComún effective is that they loan to groups of individuals, not only one person. Everyone in the group must repay the loan or the entire group becomes ineligible for a new loan. This institutionalized peer pressure is the reason microcredit organizations have repayment rates of 99 percent. Everyone has a stake in everyone else's success.

Grameen de la Frontera operates in Huatabampo and Ciudad Obregón, Sonora. It has plans to expand to Navojoa, Sonora, next year. BanComún operates in Nogales, Sonora, and plans to expand to Agua Prieta.

Besides gaining access to capital, borrowers get other benefits, too.

Bill Holliday, a Tucsonan who serves as a coordinator for BanComún, said the organization partners with the University of Arizona to give clients health classes and has agreements with technical schools in Nogales to offer clients half-price courses in welding, woodworking, hairstyling and auto repair.

Taking a cue from the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Grameen de la Frontera lends only to women, who typically take a more long-term interest in their business ventures and pay back at better rates than men, officials said.

"It's proven most effective to work through the women," said Jove Oliver, a communications director for the RESULTS Education Fund, a U.S. anti-poverty group. "The loans, however, benefit the entire family."

Saunders, whose bank has loaned $2.7 million to more than 5,000 women since 2000, said clients used their loans in a variety of ways. Some bought goats, pigs and chickens. The animals quickly multiply, giving the families a source of food and income. Others purchased sewing machines, food-preparation equipment or set up little stores at their homes, which is common in Mexico.

Thanks to Yunus winning the Nobel Peace Prize, the idea of microcredit is gaining new attention. However, the governments of the United States and other nations can help expand these worthwhile programs by directing more foreign-aid funds to microcredit organizations.

The Microcredit Summit Campaign, a program started by RESULTS, reported Wednesday that to date more than 3,100 microcredit institutions worldwide have extended tiny loans to 113 million clients to start or expand small businesses. It's a growing industry, and one that serves humanity in a positive way.

Policymakers and government leaders in the United States should support these programs. There's no denying the programs help families learn how to sustain themselves and strengthen the economies of poverty-stricken communities. No border fence does that.