Research Library

The phenomena of Syrian refugee women marrying Egyptian men whom they barely know soon after their arrival has drawn the attention of media and advocacy groups. Such marriages are often facilitated through marriage brokers, social media, and religious groups. In contrast to existing narratives that view this type of marriage as exploitative, the author demonstrates how the concept of “marriage for refuge” offers a better lens through which to analyze the relationship between forced migration and marriage.

Brain diseases have profound impacts on our health, our communities and the economy. In this brief, fellow Harris A. Eyre explains why Texas needs to establish a state research institute to tackle a growing brain health crisis.

If implemented, the Handle with Care program could provide a significant opportunity to help students facing trauma, write scholar Christopher Kulesza and co-author Abigail Levine. Their new policy brief urges Texas legislators to enact the program statewide.

On January 7, a six-year-old in Newport News, Virginia shot and wounded his teacher. As of 2020, firearm injury is the leading cause of death among children in America. We discuss the public health implications of rising gun violence, the medical community’s response, and which policy interventions can promote community safety.

Expanding current non-immigrant work permit categories through minimal adjustments is a way to move forward on immigration reform — one that recognizes the undocumented community for its valuable contributions, writes expert Catherine Glazer in a new policy brief for the Center for the United States and Mexico.

A report from center experts on the evolution of Islamist politics, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, security in the Persian Gulf and displacement in the Middle East.

As the judicial battle over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates continues, the authors argue that the most effective way to protect children from COVID-19 is to require masks in schools. Click below for their full list of policy recommendations, including what exceptions should be made, and when and how to end school mask requirements.

Effective drug policy requires acceptance that, for better or worse, licit and illicit drug use is part of our world. The authors recommend several steps the federal government can take to facilitate more pragmatic and effective drug policy at all levels of government.

If the global economy is to recover after the pandemic, the United States must reestablish mutually beneficial economic relations with China. But the new administration should be careful to resist unrestrained Chinese "soft power" influence on our education, research and creative industries.

Immigration is not only a domestic issue for the United States, but a regional one. This brief lays out a policy framework to address the root causes of migration from Mexico and Central America and promote legal, orderly mobility.