Andrew Selee
Andrew Selee is President of the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a global, nonpartisan public policy organization that seeks to advance immigration and integration approaches that are in the societal interest through evidence-based work. He also chairs MPI’s Europe’s Administrative Council and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, where he teaches courses on global migration.
Dr. Selee’s research focuses on migration globally, with a special emphasis on immigration policies in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean. He is the author and co-author of several books, including On the Move: Migration Policies in Latin America and the Caribbean (Stanford University Press, 2025); Vanishing Frontiers: The Forces Driving Mexico and the United States Together (PublicAffairs, 2018); and What Should Think Tanks Do? A Strategic Guide to Policy Impact (Stanford University Press, 2013).
He has published opinion articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Dallas Morning News, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and other publications, and writes an occasional column in the Mexican newspaper El Universal.
Prior to joining MPI in 2017, Dr. Selee spent 17 years at the Woodrow Wilson Center, where he founded its Mexico Institute and later served as the Center’s Vice President for Programs and Executive Vice President. He has also worked as staff in the U.S. Congress and on programs with migrant youth in Tijuana, Mexico.
He is on the editorial board of the journal Migration Studies, the advisory board for Ayuda, and the advisory board for the Immigration Initiative at Harvard University. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the YMCA of the USA.
Dr. Selee holds a PhD in policy studies from the University of Maryland; an MA in Latin American studies from the University of California, San Diego; a BA, Phi Beta Kappa, from Washington University in St. Louis; and a certificate in strategic perspectives on nonprofit management from Harvard Business School. He was an Andrew Carnegie Fellow and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
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Explore Content by Andrew Selee
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Legal Pathways and Enforcement: What the U.S. Safe Mobility Strategy Can Teach Europe about Migration Management
The Biden administration's ambitious migration management strategy, which combined increased regional cooperation and expanded lawful pathways with a more orderly system for border arrivals, eventually led to a significant drop in irregular migration to the U.S.-Mexico border. The strategy holds promise for governments in Europe also tackling mixed migration flows—however sequencing matters, among other lessons.
The Nascent Architecture for Managing U.S. Border Arrivals Shows Promise
While unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have plummeted in 2024, improving on these results requires immigration strategies that go far beyond the border. A new architecture for managing migration implemented over the past three years is fragile but holds promise and represents a necessary direction, this commentary argues.
21st Annual Immigration Law & Policy Conference
Featuring keynotes by IOM Director General Amy Pope, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, this conference examined competing U.S. immigration narratives, the global smuggling economy, immigration executive orders and litigation, and more.
U.S. Legal Pathways for Mexican and Central American Immigrants, by the Numbers
Family ties, H-2 seasonal work visas, and humanitarian parole are the main U.S. legal pathways for Mexican and Central American immigrants.
The End of Asylum? Evolving the Protection System to Meet 21st Century Challenges
Territorial asylum is increasingly inadequate to meet 21st-century protection needs. A diversified policy toolkit, including regional cooperation, expanded legal pathways, and streamlined procedures, is urgently needed.
Building on Regular Pathways to Address Migration Pressures in the Americas
Despite a rich history of regular immigration pathways, the Americas still struggle with irregular migration. Hemispheric cooperation and reformed mobility agreements are needed.
Construyendo vías regulares para abordar presiones migratorias en el hemisferio occidental
A pesar de una rica historia de vías regulares, el hemisferio sigue luchando con la migración irregular. Se necesitan cooperación hemisférica y acuerdos reformados.
De los principios a la acción: una nueva agenda para el segundo aniversario de la Declaración de Los Ángeles
Dos años después de la firma de La Declaración de Los Ángeles sobre Migración y Protección, los gobiernos de a través de las Américas se reunieron en Guatemala para analizar el estado de cooperación en el hemisferio. Organizaciones no gubernamentales e internacionales produjeron una agenda de acción práctica para el próximo año. Se explica en este comentario.
Translating Principles into Action: Countries Set New Agenda on the Los Angeles Declaration’s Second Anniversary
Two years after signing the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, governments from across the Americas met in Guatemala to assess the state of cooperation in the hemisphere. Working with nongovernmental and international organizations, they also produced an agenda for practical action for the next year, as this commentary explains.
As Europe and the United States Face Similar Migration Challenges, Spain Can Act as a Bridge
Spain and the United States both receive their greatest number of immigrants from Latin America, and have worked collaboratively together on displacement crises and other migration issues. As shared immigration challenges dominate debate on both sides of the Atlantic, Spain can serve as a vital bridge in the policy conversation, this commentary notes.
