Latest Border Stats Point to Heavy Child, Family Migration in 2015

2/11/2015 Washington Office on Latin America

A wave of Central American children and families, many fleeing violence in their home countries, received heavy media attention in the summer of 2014. Then, the wave receded quickly: by August 2014, the U.S. Border Patrol was apprehending fewer unaccompanied Central American children than it was in August 2013. The humanitarian crisis disappeared from the headlines.

The crisis is not over. If current trends continue, child and family apprehensions in 2015 will fall behind 2014, but still exceed 2013 and every other year on record.

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How to Boost Border Competitiveness? Just Ask the Folks There.

2/10/2015 Forbes.com

By Christopher Wilson and Erik Lee

For years, the United States’ southern border with Mexico has provoked a range of fears, from terrorism and drugs to overwhelming numbers of unauthorized immigrants, prompting a security-first and often security-only approach to border management. Fear-based rhetoric may resonate in the echo chambers of Washington DC, but it feels wholly out of touch to most (though not all) residents of border communities.

Thankfully, with U.S.-Mexico trade at historic highs and growing faster than trade with any other major trading partner, it is increasingly difficult to ignore the importance of safe and efficient border management to the regional economy. U.S.-Mexico trade is now valued at well over a half trillion dollars per year, 80 percent of which crosses the U.S.-Mexico land border. This trade supports around six million U.S. jobs, and systems of co-production in manufacturing allow companies to combine the comparative advantages of the United States and Mexico, boosting the competitiveness of North America as a whole.

These trends are leading some political leaders to the realization that many in the border region have known for years: the border itself creates a lot of economic opportunity for both nations. And these folks in the border region—popularly imagined to be barely hanging on in a hail of gunfire, even on the sleepy U.S. side—are careful observers of what works and what does not work in terms of trade and economic development. Knowing this, we joined several other organizations in a year-long deep dive into the inner workings of the U.S.-Mexico border economy. But then even we were surprised by the sheer number, variety and magnitude of ideas emanating from this enormous, misunderstood and underappreciated region.

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Report Sees Border Opportunities

2/3/2015 U-T San Diego

Rich in potential, the U.S.-Mexico border’s economic future can be strengthened through measures such as educational exchanges, renewable energy clusters, binational planning efforts, and improved connections among economic development groups on both sides of the border, according to a report released Tuesday.

“The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition” focuses on the opportunities and challenges that face border communities in both countries. For all their differences, these communities face many common needs, the report states, chief among them the need for more fluid border crossings.

The 141-page report resulted from a collaboration among the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C., the North American Research Partnership, the Border Legislative Conference and the Council of State Governments-West. Many of the recommendations incorporate issues raised during four regional competitiveness forums conducted last year in San Diego; Rio Rico, Ariz.; and Laredo and El Paso, Texas.

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Download the report here.

NEW REPORT: The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition

Edited by Erik Lee and Christopher Wilson

The Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute, the North American Research Partnership and the Border Legislative Conference, a program of the Council of State Governments West, are pleased to share with you this comprehensive report with recommendations aimed at strengthening the economic competitiveness of the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Throughout 2014, our coalition of organizations held a series of four U.S.-Mexico Regional Economic Competitiveness Forums in order to engage border region stakeholders in a process to collectively generate a shared vision and policy recommendations to strengthen economic competitiveness.

This report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development, compiles the many innovative ideas developed at the forums, and weaves them into a series of policy recommendations that draw on the experiences of those who understand the border best: the individuals who live in border communities and who cross back and forth between Mexico and the United States as a part of their daily lives.

Download the report here.

EVENT TOMORROW: Representing the U.S.-Mexico Border: Congressmen Cuellar, O’Rourke, and Vargas

WHEN: TOMORROW, Tuesday, February 3rd, 9-11am

WHERE: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Click here to RSVP.

The Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch event for our latest report, The Border Economy in Transition. At the event, three members of Congress representing districts on the U.S.-Mexico border will discuss the challenges they face in overcoming misperceptions about the border in order to promote the economic competitiveness of the region. In addition to the members of the U.S. House of Representatives, we are delighted to host Acting Assistant Administrator for the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau of USAID, Elizabeth Hogan; Chair of the Border Legislative Conference and member of the Nuevo León State Legislature, Imelda Guadalupe Alejandro de la Garza; Antonio Ortiz Mena, Head of Section for Economic Affairs at the Mexican Embassy; and Sue Saarnio, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State. The report will be presented by authors Christopher Wilson, Senior Associate at the Mexico Institute, and Erik Lee, Executive Director of the North American Research Partnership, as well as Edgar Ruiz, Executive Director of the Council of State Governments-West.

The report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development and presents 27 policy recommendations to create a more competitive border region. The innovative policy ideas were developed by stakeholders at the series of four Regional Economic Competitiveness Forums held along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2014.

*A live webcast will be available. For more information, click here.

Better Late than Never: Lessons Learned from Mexican Truck Drivers in the United States

By Luis de la Calle

The opening of the United States to freight trucking companies from Mexico will change the border and its competitiveness.

Mexico must always demand the rule of law and compliance with commitments.

On Friday, January 9, 2015, the United States Department of Transportation made an important announcement that has not received the recognition it deserves: the Department of Transportation will begin to process applications of Mexican land freight trucking companies wishing to provide international services in the United States.

This announcement ends the pilot program that was established as a palliative measure in response to the longstanding dispute with Mexico. This topic is worth remembering for the lessons it leaves us with.

Read more…

This article was originally published in Spanish on El Universal. 

EVENT REMINDER! Report Launch: The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition

WHEN: Tuesday, February 3rd, 9am-11am

WHERE: Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC

*A live webcast will be available.

The Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of the report, The U.S.-Mexico Border Economy in Transition. This report lays out the major issues involved in border region economic development, compiles the many innovative ideas developed at four forums, and weaves them into a series of policy recommendations that draw on the experiences of those who understand the border best: the individuals who live in border communities and who cross back and forth between Mexico and the United States as a part of their daily lives.

Speakers include: U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar (28th District of Texas), U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke (16th District of Texas), U.S. Representative Juan Vargas (51st District of California), Antonio Ortiz Mena, Head of Section for Economic Affairs, Embassy of Mexico in the United States, Sue Saarnio, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Department of State, Diputada Imelda Guadalupe Alejandro De La Garza, Border Legislative Conference Chair and member, Nuevo León State Legislature, among others.

RSVP for the event and see the full agenda here. 

Follow the conversation live on Twitter using the hashtag #BorderEcon @MexicoInstitute