Mexico is now, symbolically, teetering on the edge of being a very bad neighbor.

Our border problem just got bigger

The United States has already had to contend with the Mexican government's slipshod, if non-existent, efforts to curb drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Now, there's a "Nothing Gringo" campaign in Mexico that is timed to coincide with Monday's "Day without Immigrants" in the United States.

"Nothing Gringo" is a boycott of all things American in Mexico, while north of the border, migrants and their supporters are being encouraged to skip work and school and spend no money.

The idea is to demonstrate Mexican economic power, at a time when the U.S. electorate and political leaders are considering ways to address illegal immigration to the United States and securing the southern border with Mexico.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico is saying the campaign could backfire politically. Most folks north of the border are bound to take a dim view of both events rather than sheepishly agreeing to the intended instructive message that the U.S. depends on Mexico and Mexican workers.

That is true, but much more so, it's the other way around.

What would happen if the U.S. responded in kind, starting with a constitutional amendment matching a provision in Mexico's Constitution: "Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country."

What if the U.S. chose a day to boycott all things Mexican? What if U.S. health-care facilities and schools and government agencies staged a one-day lockout of illegal immigrants, just to send a message?

Or what if the U.S. somehow managed to secure its border with Mexico, effectively stopping the influx of illegal immigrants? Some Mexican economists have considered that proposition, and are rightly concerned that it would cause a huge dent in Mexico's economy because it would substantially curb the amount of money that illegals send home to their families.

Consider that one-quarter of Mexico's private sector jobs with regular pay are provided by U.S. firms. "Nothing Gringo?" Nothing like punching the golden goose in the gut.

There is already a rising tide of frustration in the United States over the illegal immigration issue. Boycotts and demonstrations of illegal immigrant political muscle in the U.S. are more likely to exacerbate that frustration than curb it.