Regional Migration Study Group
More than any issue, migration shapes and defines the U.S. relationship with Mexico and, increasingly, much of Central America. Thus, getting migration and the issues that fuel and surround it right is vital to the region’s long-term stability, prosperity, and its competitiveness in a fast-changing and unforgiving global economy. Yet, there have been few systematic conversations about what a collaborative, regional approach to these issues might look like.
Co-chaired by former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, and former Vice President and Foreign Minister of Guatemala Eduardo Stein, the Regional Migration Study Group from 2010-2014 brought together former officials, civil-society leaders, and experts from the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to craft a collaborative regional vision on migration and human capital.
Serving as an on-call “virtual think tank,” the Study Group advised policymakers and promoted long-term strategies to strengthen education and workforce systems, harmonize standards, and turn migration from necessity into genuine choice. Its work culminated in a 2013 final report and a second phase focused on advancing its recommendations and human-capital initiatives.
The first phase was carried out in collaboration with the Latin American Program/Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Regional Migration Study Group Members
CO-CHAIRS
Ernesto Zedillo, former President of Mexico (1994-2000)
Carlos M. Gutierrez, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce (2005-09)
Eduardo Stein, former Vice President of Guatemala (2004-08)
DIRECTORS
Demetrios G. Papademetriou, President, MPI
Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow, MPI
Andrew Selee, Director, Woodrow Wilson Center’s Mexico Institute
MEMBERS
Hugo Beteta, Director, Subregional Headquarters in Mexico, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Lázaro Cárdenas Batel, former Governor of the State of Michoacán, Mexico
John Coatsworth, Dean, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs
Luís de la Calle, Managing Director and Founding Partner, De la Calle, Madrazo, Mancera, S.C. (CMM)
Antonia Hernández, President and CEO, California Community Foundation
James R. Jones, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Santiago Levy Algazi, Vice President for Sector and Knowledge, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
Monica Lozano, CEO, impreMedia
Jorge Luis Madrazo Cuéllar, former Attorney General of Mexico (1996-2000)
Eliseo Medina, International Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union
Diana Natalicio, President, University of Texas at El Paso
John D. Negroponte, former Director of National Intelligence, U.S. government
Rogelio Ramírez de la O, President, Ecanal
Andrés Rozental, former Ambassador of Mexico to the United Kingdom (1995-1997)
Luis Rubio, Chairman, Center of Research for Development (CIDAC)
James W. Ziglar, former Commissioner, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
PROJECT MANAGER
Victoria Rietig, Policy Analyst, MPI
Showing 1–10 of 24 results
Building Skills in North and Central America: Barriers and Policy Options toward Harmonizing Qualifications in Nursing
Nurse qualification harmonization can ease North American shortages and cut brain waste, but regulatory gaps and credential barriers need political will to overcome.
Pensando Regionalmente para Competir Globalmente: Aprovechar la Migración y el Capital Humano en Estados Unidos, México y Centroamérica
La reforma migratoria de EE.UU. con visas flexibles y legalización, apoyada por inversión regional en capital humano, es clave para la competitividad de toda la región.
Migración Mexicana a los EE.UU.: Factores Económicos Subyacentes y Posibles Escenarios de Flujos Futuros
Los flujos netos de mexicanos a EE.UU. crecerán post-crisis pero no alcanzarán los niveles de los 90; la demanda sectorial estadounidense es el principal factor explicativo.
Thinking Regionally to Compete Globally: Leveraging Migration & Human Capital in the U.S., Mexico, and Central America
Shifting demographics and slowing emigration from Mexico and Central America demand a new U.S. regional strategy, this final report of the Regional Migration Study Group makes clear.
Mexican Migration to the United States: Underlying Economic Factors and Possible Scenarios for Future Flows
Sectoral demand shifts—not just supply-side shocks—explain Mexican migration trends since 1990, and net flows are projected to stay well below 1990s peaks through 2017.
Resumen del Sector: Agricultura, Implicaciones para el Capital Humano y la Migración
El declive de la mano de obra agrícola disponible presiona hacia la mecanización y expone la fragilidad del programa H-2A, cuyas reformas han sido hasta ahora infructuosas.
Resumen del Sector: Manufactura, Implicaciones para el Capital Humano y la Migración
Los inmigrantes mexicanos y centroamericanos se concentran en empleos manufactureros de bajo valor en EE.UU., sin capacitación ni trayectorias hacia sectores en expansión.
Resumen del Sector: Sistema de Salud, Implicaciones para el Capital Humano y la Migración
Déficits educativos y barreras migratorias frenan la producción de enfermeras en EE.UU., México y Centroamérica, limitando la respuesta a poblaciones en envejecimiento.
Ripe with Change: Evolving Farm Labor Markets in the United States, Mexico, and Central America
North American farm labor supply is contracting as education and incomes rise, pressuring farmers to compete for fewer workers or invest in labor-saving mechanization.