Tell us about your research project and why it is important to you?
Migration policies in Mexico have undergone multiple changes in recent decades. Among other things, the strategy of migration containment has resulted in an increase in the number of migrants detained. According to official data, every year since 2021 has seen a record high in the number of detentions. This presents a challenge in terms of compliance with provisions of the Mexican legislation and international treaties on the human rights of people in mobility. Furthermore, little has been studied and made visible about the experience of migrants during their migratory stays in Mexico. Hence my interest in compiling the narratives of immigration detention throughout Mexico with an ethnographic approach, analyzing the strategies of containment, detention, and deportation enforced by the Mexican authorities. I am also interested in understanding the consequences of the implementation of these policies in the lives of people in transit, as well as the discursive practices that are articulated around their experiences.
Have you presented or published your research anywhere? Tell us about the experience.
Until 2022, before starting my PhD, I was part of an interdisciplinary team at the Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla that, with funding from a ConTex Collaborative Research Grant, conducted monitoring visits to immigration detention centers in Puebla and Tlaxcala. As a result of this project, we published the report Vidas en Contención (Lives in Containment), which we have presented at different events, and which has helped us to engage in conversation with academics who conduct research on issues related to immigration detention.
This year I will be presenting at the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) conference research based on data collected from interviews during monitoring visits about the administrative burdens that are imposed on people in mobility when they are detained. I will also participate in LASA 2025 with a paper co-authored with Dr. Guillermo Yrizar (Ibero Puebla) in which we propose to categorize immigration detention centers as socially torturing environments.
What would you say is something interesting about your area of study that most people don't know?
I believe that most people do not get to know about the migration phenomenon from the narratives of those who live it, since they tend to pay more attention to the political discourse and what the media is selling, especially in the current context. Moreover, most of the people with whom I have talked about my research (outside of academia) do not know that Mexico detains the second largest number of people in mobility in the Americas, only behind the United States.
Tell us about your academic or professional collaborations with Mexico.
In addition to the study funded by ConTex, I was also part of the project “Huaya-Puebla-Seattle Platform: International Research Collaboration on US-Mexican Labor Migration and Transnational Families”, sponsored by Seattle University. Thanks to this project I conducted fieldwork in Huayacocotla, Veracruz. Together with an interdisciplinary team, I conducted interviews and focus groups with family members of workers with H-2A visas, as well as with community leaders. Under the direction of Dr. Elena Ayala Galí,of Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, we analyzed the effects of these visas at the family level. We presented the preliminary results of this research at the LASA 2023 Congress.
As part of my training as a PhD student, during the fall of 2023 I conducted observations at the Immigration Courts in El Paso, Texas, which allowed me to learn more about the asylum application process, its requirements, and the judicial process. Also, during the spring of 2024 I interviewed people in national and international mobility at the Centro de Atención Integral a Migrantes (CAIM) and the Centro Integrador para el Migrante “Leona Vicario”, both located in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and under the purview of the Mexican federal government.
What attracted you to Texas and The University of Texas at El Paso?
Multiple reasons brought me to UTEP and El Paso, Texas. I liked the idea of being part of the first generation of the PhD in Sociology offered by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at UTEP. Additionally, taking advantage of the geographic location of the university at the border, the program offers a concentration in migration and borders. Finally, I was interested in taking classes and possibly collaborating with scholars such as Dr. Morales, Dr. Campbell, Dr. Heyman, Dr. Slack and Dr. O'Hearn.
What have been some good things you didn't expect from Texas or UTEP?
I have been pleasantly surprised by how close Mexico and the United States feel here, in El Paso. There is a large Spanish-speaking community and Mexican culture and holidays, such as the Day of the Dead, are celebrated with great enthusiasm. Living in El Paso I feel close to Mexico. The professors are in contact with Mexican academia and have knowledge about it, as many of them have done research in Mexico.
What have been the biggest challenges of studying at UT Austin and living in the United States?
One of the biggest challenges of studying abroad is being away from family and friends. I began my graduate studies in the United States in 2019, when I embarked on a master's degree in sociology at the University of Arkansas. I learned there firsthand the differences between academia in Mexico and the United States, as well as the high level of commitment that a graduate degree in the United States requires. Starting my Ph.D. at UTEP was a little easier, as I was already aware of many of the things I would need to take care of. However, initially it was a culture shock, and I had to be constantly learning new things.
How has the support of ConTex and Conahcyt impacted you?
Moving from Puebla to El Paso was a big step for me, my husband, our baby, and even our dog, Nina. The help from ConTex and Conahcyt has been crucial to be able to continue with my studies and research in the field of migration, especially considering that I am a mother of a 15-month-old baby. The financial support of the scholarship has allowed me to cover our living expenses in El Paso.
What kind of work do you hope to do in the future, and how do you hope your research will benefit people in the U.S. and Mexico?
After finishing my PhD, I would like to keep doing research on the topic of migration with the objective of making visible the life experiences of people in mobility and to continue analyzing the impact of changes in immigration laws, both in the United States and in Mexico, as they are closely interrelated. I would also like to teach and promote the analysis of the migration phenomenon on both sides of the border.
What advice would you give to other Mexican students considering studying in Texas?
El Paso is a unique place to live and study. Here, on the border, you experience biculturalism and the connection between both countries, which gives rise to endless research topics in various areas. Studying abroad exposes you to different approaches and opens new job opportunities; it also allows you to be an ambassador for your country.
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