NAFTA continues to have its critics. Some of the Maquiladoras-the assembly plants on the Mexican side of the border -are deservedly denounced for poor working conditions and a troubling environmental record. And on June 26,2001, the House of Representatives passed a bill restricting Mexican trucking in the U.S., an indication that NAFTA remains politically unpopular among many Americans. But for workers coming from impoverished Mexican villages, the maquiladoras represent an opportunity to earn a far better living.