Research Library

Hostile immigration enforcement policies and anti-immigrant actions against refugees and asylum seekers are causing trauma to migrant families and exposing them to dangerous living conditions on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The U.S. is facing a structural labor shortage and a deepening immigration crisis. Modifying the eligibility parameters of the TN visa — a visa restricted to Mexican and Canadian professionals — is a partial solution, writes Tony Payan.

Driven by the USMCA trade agreement and seeking to reduce supply chain disruptions, Chinese companies are setting up shop in Mexico, closer to major U.S. markets. In this issue brief, fellow David Gantz explains the pressures behind this investment and the likely impacts on the North American economy.

Migration can expose women and girls to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in countries of transit and destination. SGBV has several repercussions on the physical, psychosocial, and economic well-being of those who experience it. In addition, migrant women can also experience significant sexual and reproductive health (SRH) problems due to inadequate access to care, harsh circumstances during their migratory journey, stigma, lack of information on support services, and lack of coordination between civil society and institutional structures.

The number of migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border far exceeds the immigration system’s capacity, and the flow is not stopping. In this brief, visiting scholar Katia Adimora talks to experts in the field about what the real issues are and how best to solve them.

This policy report examines the push and pull factors that contribute to the formation of so-called “migrant caravans” and offers policy recommendations to staunch the flow of migrants through Mexico.

In 2022, the nation faced fundamental questions about how we govern our economy and society — particularly how we formulate public policy. Here, we share 10 highlights of our work that illustrate our impact from the previous year.

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.

Among the U.S. citizens migrating to Mexico in recent years are an unknown number of Americans who married Mexican citizens and were co-deported or departed voluntarily with their undocumented spouses, the authors report. Without improved consular services and a diaspora policy that anticipates the likely return of these Americans in the future, the authors worry that the United States risks re-inheriting a sizable U.S. population that may well require critical government services to reintegrate after a prolonged period abroad.

The author proposes a model that explains how stressors such as constant uncertainty and legal vulnerability can affect the mental health of undocumented immigrants — and how, paradoxically, they can also make migrant communities more resilient. Learn more in Current Opinion in Psychology.