Immigration and the U.S.-Mexico Border during the Pandemic: A Conversation with Members of Congress

As the U.S. government has implemented a raft of measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, a significant number have been in the immigration arena, touching in particular on the U.S.-Mexico border. The Mexican and U.S. administrations agreed to halt nonessential travel across the border, slowing activity across a closely interconnected and vibrant regional economy. The Trump administration also has taken a number of unprecedented measures, drawing on powers given to the Surgeon General in 1944 to block the entry of foreign nationals deemed possible health risks. As a result, border officials have expelled more than 10,000 unauthorized migrants and asylum seekers through an expedited process and largely ended access to asylum during the crisis.

In a bipartisan discussion organized by the Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute and the Migration Policy Institute, two border-state members of Congress — Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso and Rep. Dan Crenshaw of suburban Houston — will discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak, how it is affecting the border region, and what the future might hold.

Speakers:

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Member of the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Member of the House Homeland Security Committee and Ranking Member of its Oversight, Management, and Accountability Subcommittee

Introduction:

Jane Harman, Director, President, and CEO, Wilson Center

Moderators:

Andrew Selee, President, Migration Policy Institute

Closing Remarks:

Duncan Wood, Director, Mexico Institute, Wilson Center

Sponsors