June 2020
The Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico seeks to have a meaningful impact on the U.S.-Mexico relationship through original research, relevant solutions to binational policy issues, and the advancement of mutual understanding by convening leaders who can bridge the world of ideas and the world of action. Please find below our quarterly newsletter, which provides the latest information on the center’s activities.
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Binational Commons, edited by center director Tony Payan and research analyst Pamela Cruz, is the result of a three-year research project that focuses on whether the institutions that govern the U.S.-Mexico transborder space effectively address the difficult binational problems that arise there. Critical for policymaking now and in the future, this book explores where institutional governance is strong, where it is failing, how governance mechanisms have evolved over time, and what can be done to improve them to meet the needs of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands in the coming decades. Click here for more information and to pre-order the book.
Upcoming Events
Webinar: The DACA Program and the Future of U.S. Immigration
Pamela Cruz, center research analyst; Charles Foster, chairman of Foster LLP; and Luz Garcini, center nonresident scholar and assistant professor at UT Health San Antonio, will discuss what the temporary court-mandated reprieve means for DACA recipients, the reasoning of the court, the potential political consequences of the ruling and what to expect for the future of U.S. immigration policy as the November 2020 elections draw near. Click here to register.
Webinar: USMCA’s Entry into Force: Prospects and Challenges for North American Trade
The USMCA enters into force on July 1. This webinar explores the prospects for success and the challenges of implementing the new USMCA through a conversation with C.J. Mahoney, J.D., deputy U.S. trade representative for investment, services, labor, environment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere; Charles “Chip” Roh, former assistant U.S. trade representative for North America and former deputy chief negotiator, North American Free Trade Agreement for the United States; Kenneth Smith-Ramos, partner and international trade consultant, Agon International Trade Consultants, and former chief negotiator for the modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement for Mexico; and Colin Robertson, vice president and fellow, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and former member, Deputy Minister of International Trade’s NAFTA Advisory Council and the North American Forum; former member, negotiation team for the Canada-US FTA and NAFTA. This webinar is free, but registration is required. Please click here to register.
Past Events
Webinar: The Effect of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the North American Supply Chain
At this webinar, Pia Orrenius, vice president and senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas; Emilio Cadena, president and CEO of Grupo Prodensa in Mexico; and Flavio Volpe, president of Canada’s Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, discussed the future of the North American supply chain. This event was sponsored by the Center for the United States and Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico Foundation. Click here for video of the event.
Webinar: Organized Crime and the Coronavirus in Mexico
Gary Hale and Nathan Jones, nonresident experts in drug policy and Mexico studies at the Center for the United States and Mexico, analyzed the effects of the crisis on organized crime in Mexico. Click here for video of the event.
Webinar: Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on United States – Mexico Trade
David A. Gantz, the Will Clayton Fellow for Trade and International Economics, and Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico, discussed the impact of the pandemic on U.S.-Mexico trade and economic relations. Click here for video of the event.
Webinar: Mexico’s Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic
Tony Payan, director of the Center for the United States and Mexico, discussed the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico and the country’s response and capacity to deal with it. Click here for video of the event.
Recent Publications
DACA decision: A reprieve for some, political defeat for others
While Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling temporarily protects the DACA program, its fate now rests with the November presidential election, writes center director Tony Payan in this Baker Institute blog.
Mexico's 'New Normal'
With the 7th highest number of Covid-19-related deaths in the world, Mexico is in trouble. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador ended social distancing measures and began a “new normal” phase, but recovery is expected to be slow, writes center research scholar Rodrigo Montes de Oca Arboleya. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.
Pandemics and Populism: Mexico’s Response to the Coronavirus
Mexico’s President López Obrador has largely discounted the threat of COVID-19. If conditions change for the worse, the president faces a national health crisis and the end of the country's populist experiment, writes center director Tony Payan in this Baker Institute blog post.
The Covid-19 public health crisis and Mexico’s economy
The pandemic has compounded Mexico's existing economic problems, and López Obrador’s response to the crisis could make recovery more difficult writes José Iván Rodríguez-Sánchez, center postdoctoral research fellow, in this Baker Institute blog.
Why Mexico is unprepared for Covid-19
Even before the pandemic, Mexico’s health care system was in crisis, with shortages of medical supplies, drugs, and personnel. A president that is downplaying the outbreak, brandishing amulets to “protect” him from the virus, isn’t helping matters writes Rodrigo Montes de Oca, center research scholar in this Baker Institute blog.
Important New Features in the USMCA
In this issue brief, Will Clayton Fellow David A. Gantz analyzes some important new provisions in the USMCA, including limitations on currency manipulation, restrictions on trade agreements with China, sunset provisions and the rights of indigenous people.
Exploring Immigration Alternatives: Identification and Taxation of Undocumented Immigrants Residing in the United States
In this policy brief, center director Tony Payan and research analyst Pamela Cruz argue for an identification and tax program that would allow unauthorized residents to receive identification documents and to reside and work legally in the United States. In return, they would pay taxes, like any other American.
Undocumented Immigrants in Texas: A Cost-Benefit Assessment
In this research paper, José Iván Rodríguez-Sánchez, center postdoctoral research fellow, conducts a cost-benefit analysis of undocumented immigrants in Texas, concluding that undocumented residents have a positive influence and impact on the economy, since they pay taxes and fees and constitute an important part of the labor market.
Former U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents: Retired Without Benefits
An increasing number of lawful permanent U.S. residents from Mexico could lose access to their U.S. social security contributions as a result of deportation writes contributor Tran Dang in this policy brief.
Voting and Political Representation in America
Tony Payan, center director, and Pamela Cruz, research analyst, contributed chapters on “The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo” and “Lawful Permanent Residents in the U.S.” to an edited volume that examines voting trends and political representation in the United States today.
Mexico’s New Anticorruption Struggle
Despite a revised institutional approach to fighting corruption, Mexico continues to face issues related to systemic corruption in the public and private arenas, writes nonresident scholar Stephen D. Morris in this Baker Institute report.
The Spatial Dimension of Crime in Mexico City (2016-2019)
Through an examination of crime patterns in a major urban center in Latin America — Mexico City— this research paper by 2019 Center visiting scholar, Alfonso Valenzuela Aguilera, contributes to the development of a theoretical and empirical understanding of criminal activity and its correlation with space and time.
Earth, Wind, and Sun: Will Renewable Energy Prevail in Mexico?
In this report, nonresident scholar Miriam Grunstein traces the winding road of Mexico’s renewable energy policies and their uncertain future.
The Petrochemical Arm of Pemex: A Tale of Boom and Bust
In this research paper, Adrian Duhalt, center postdoctoral fellow, contends that it is worth evaluating which state-owned petrochemical assets in Mexico could be strengthened to support both economic recovery and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s agenda.
The Future of Pemex: Return to the Rentier-State Model or Strengthen Energy Resiliency in Mexico?
Center nonresident scholar Isidro Morales argues that the best way to improve Mexico's energy autonomy, with political clout for the state, is to back the resiliency of its energy systems, in both fossil and non-fossil fuels. This research paper is available in English and Spanish.