Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh is an Associate Policy Analyst with MPI's U.S. Immigration Policy Program, where she examines trends and policies on the U.S.-Mexico border and analyzes implications of federal policy changes on immigrants and the immigration system. Her research involves engaging with local, state, and federal stakeholders on issues of border management, interior enforcement, and immigrant access to services. She also focuses on the use of technology in enforcement, throughout the legal immigration system, and in border security.
Previously, Ms. Putzel-Kavanaugh spent three years in San Diego, conducting research and working with asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, and interned with the Bipartisan Policy Center, the office of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and Al Otro Lado. Prior to her work as a researcher, she was a 7th and 8th grade teacher.
Ms. Putzel-Kavanaugh holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Assumption College and a master’s of peace and justice degree from the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, where she focused on human rights, immigration, and corruption.
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Explore Content by Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
Showing 21-28 of 28 total results
Biden at the Three-Year Mark: The Most Active Immigration Presidency Yet Is Mired in Border Crisis Narrative
The Biden administration's record-setting pace of immigration actions increased legal admissions and protections, but record border encounters and a swelling backlog defined the narrative.
Shifting Realities at the U.S.-Mexico Border: Immigration Enforcement and Control in a Fast-Evolving Landscape
Nearly 2.5 million encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2023 exposed a system reacting to rather than managing realities at the border. Real control will require multiagency investment.
Can the Biden Immigration Playbook Be Effective for Managing Arrivals via Sea?
Caribbean maritime arrivals to the United States hit the highest levels since the 1990s; the Biden administration is betting on legal pathways and regional cooperation to curb dangerous sea crossings.
Shifting Patterns and Policies Reshape Migration to U.S.-Mexico Border in Major Ways in 2023
There is a deeper story behind the U.S. government's fiscal 2023 border encounters numbers than that the year marked a new record high. The pivot from the pandemic-era Title 42 expulsions policy and sharp diversification in nationalities have reshaped migrant arrivals unlike any year before. This commentary goes beyond the headlines to focus on the more enduring—and challenging—realities occuring at the U.S.-Mexico border.
New York and Other U.S. Cities Struggle with High Costs of Migrant Arrivals
Record migrant arrivals have pushed U.S. cities to spend billions on shelter and services as federal aid falls far short and work authorization lags.
The U.S.-Mexico Border Becomes More High-Tech
MPI analysts who toured the U.S.-Mexico border discuss the increasingly sophisticated U.S. Customs and Border Protection operations to address asylum seekers and other migrants arriving at official ports of entry.
A Complex Picture: Diversifying Migration Flows & Policies at the U.S.-Mexico Border
What is driving the increasingly diverse flows to the U.S.-Mexico border, and how are officials responding on the ground?
A Post-Title 42 Vision for Migration Management Comes into Focus
Facing a dramatically different reality arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border with the end of a pandemic-era policy that resulted in more than 3 million expulsions, the Biden administration unveiled a policy vision that marries expanded legal pathways with stiff consequences for those seeking to enter without authorization. The strategy can succeed, but speedier while still fair border asylum decisionmaking must be an essential component, this commentary argues.
