BORDER INFORMATION & STATISTICS
Geography and Regional Characteristics
Economic Development, Trade, and Finance
Environment and Quality of Life
Immigration
- Major Benefit Programs Available to Immigrants in California
Four pages of tables that summarize benefit programs and eligibility rules for both documented and undocumented immigrants in California, including SSI/SSP, CAPI, food stamps, WIC, school lunch and breakfast, summer food, CalWORKS, Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and more.
California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative, National Immigration Law Center
January 2007 - 2005 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics
The Yearbook of Immigration Statistics is a compendium of tables that provides data on foreign nationals who, during a fiscal year, were granted lawful permanent residence (i.e., admitted as immigrants or became legal permanent residents), were admitted into the United States on a temporary basis (e.g., tourists, students, or workers), applied for asylum or refugee status, or were naturalized. The Yearbook also presents data on immigration law enforcement actions, including alien apprehensions, removals, and prosecutions.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
November 2006 - 2005 Annual Flow Reports and Annual Reports
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security - Annual Report - Immigration Enforcement Actions: 2005
This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Report presents information on the apprehension, detention, and removal of foreign nationals during 2005 as well as investigations of individuals or organizations in violation of immigration laws. Data were obtained from workload and case tracking systems of DHS.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
November 2006 - Immigrants And The Cost Of Medical Care
Foreign-born adults in Los Angeles County, California, constituted 45 percent of the county's population ages 18-64 but accounted for 33 percent of health spending in 2000. Similarly, the undocumented constituted 12 percent of the nonelderly adult population but accounted for only 6 percent of spending. Extrapolating to the nation, total spending by the undocumented is $6.4 billion, of which only 17 percent ($1.1 billion) is paid for by public sources. The foreign-born (especially the undocumented) use disproportionately fewer medical services and contribute less to health care costs in relation to their population share, likely because of their better relative health and lack of health insurance. RAND Corporation
published in Health Affairs
November 14, 2006 - Annual Flow Report - Temporary Admissions of Nonimmigrants to the United States in 2005
This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report examines the number and characteristics of nonimmigrant admissions in 2005 recorded by the Treasury Enforcement Communications Systems (TECS) of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
July 2006 - Modes of Entry for the Unauthorized Migrant Population
New estimates show that nearly half of all the unauthorized migrants now living in the United States entered the country legally through a port of entry such as an airport or a border crossing point where they were subject to inspection by immigration officials.
Pew Hispanic Center
May 22, 2006 - Border Insecurity: - U.S. Border-Enforcement Policies and National Security [ PDF (546.84 KB) ]
Since 9/11, concern has mounted among policymakers and law-enforcement authorities that foreign terrorists affiliated with al Qaeda might use Mexico as a transit point to enter the United States, relying on the same people-smuggling networks as undocumented immigrants and becoming lost in the large undocumented flow. Some lawmakers have voiced fears that terrorists might be among the growing number of undocumented non-Mexicans crossing the southern border, although these Other Than Mexicans (OTMs) come principally from Central and South America. There is no evidence this has happened, despite suggestions by several lawmakers that the extremely small number of Arab and Muslim OTMs apprehended at the border constitutes a threat to national security.
American Immigration Law Foundation
Spring 2006 - Working Paper - Mapping Trends in Naturalizations: 1980 to 2003
This Office of Immigration Statistics Working Paper presents a visual analysis of the state of residence of newly naturalized citizens for the period 1980 to 2003.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
March 2006 - Estimates of the Legal Permanent Resident Population and Population Eligible to Naturalize in 2004 [ PDF ]
This OIS Annual Population Estimates report provides estimates of the legal permanent resident population and population eligible to naturalize for fiscal year 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
February 2006 - Fact Sheet - Characteristics of Diversity Legal
Permanent Residents: 2004
Hundreds of thousands of immigrants become legal permanent residents (LPRs) of the United States every year. Approximately 50,000 of these are diversity LPRs who were granted LPR status through a diversity lot-tery. This Office of Immigration Statistics Fact Sheet provides definitions for terms related to LPRs and descriptive characteristics of persons who became diversity LPRs in the United States during 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
December 2005 - Undocumented Immigrants: An Annotated Bibliography
The annotated bibliography lists recent research concerning the size of the unauthorized immigrant population (in California and the United States) as well as the costs and benefits of providing services to both illegal and legal immigrants. The accompanying briefing note shows the distribution of unauthorized immigrants across regions and counties in 2000 and 2005, sorted by the share of illegal immigrants allocated to each county.
by Alicia Bugarin and others, California Research Bureau. California State Library
November 2005 - Fact Sheet - Characteristics of Employment-Based Legal Permanent Residents: 2004
This report defines terms related to legal permanent residents (LPRs) and describes the characteristics of persons who became employment-based LPRs during 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
October 2005 - Fact Sheet - Characteristics of Family-Sponsored Legal Permanent Residents: 2004
This report defines terms related to legal permanent residents (LPRs) and describes the characteristics of persons who became family-sponsored LPRs during 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
October 2005 - Annual Flow Report - Refugee Applicants and Admissions to the United States: 2004
This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report provides information on the number of persons who filed applications for refugee status, were approved for refugee status, or were admitted to the United States as refugees in 20041 by their country of origin.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
September 2005 - Unauthorized Migrants: Numbers and Characteristics
Provides statistics on Immigration (focus on Hispanics)- Demographics are included.
Pew Hispanic Center
June 14, 2005 - Annual Flow Report - U.S. Legal Permanent Residents: 2004
This Office of Immigration Statistics Annual Flow Report presents information on the num-ber and characteristics of persons who became LPRs in the United States during 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
June 2005 - Annual Flow Report - Naturalizations in the United States: 2004
This Office of Immigration Statis-tics Annual Flow Report presents information on the number and characteristics of foreign nationals ages 18 years and over who were naturalized during 2004.
Office of Immigration Statistics, Department of Homeland Security
June 2005 - California Report Card 2004: Focus on Children in Immigrant Families
Children Now's compilation of statistics on children in Los Angeles, including school test scores, drop out rates, language skills, Head Start, poverty rates, WIC recipients, prenatal care, teen births, child abuse, gun injuries and deaths, and more.
Children Now
May 2004 - California's Newest Immigrants
Explores the demographic characteristics of recent immigrants, including region of origin, age at arrival, geographic concentration, family composition, educational attainment, hourly wages, poverty rates, employment, rates of home ownership, and English language ability.
Public Policy Institute of California
November 2003 - Metropolitan Magnets for International and Domestic Migrants
This report examines foreign immigration and US migration in the nation's 81 largest metro areas in the late 1990s, including Los Angeles, according to educational characteristics and race/ethnicity.
The Brookings Institution
October 2003 - Legal Immigration to California in 2002
Statistics on legal immigration to California by county, for 1990-2000, including Los Angeles County.
California Department of Finance
October 2003 - Immigrants in California - Just the Facts Series
Two page statistical brief on immigrants.
Public Policy Institute of California
July 2002 - Center for Comparative Immigration Studies Working Paper Series
All papers presented at CCIS seminars and conferences will be published as CCIS Working Papers. They will be posted in the order they are published, and may be downloaded here.
Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UCSD - Economics and Migration: The Facts
Perhaps the most controversial and misunderstood issue surrounding contemporary immigration is the impact immigrants--particularly those without documentation-- have on the U.S. economy and the economic well-being of U.S. citizens.
Justice for Immigrants - Response to Undocumented Immigration: The Arguments
According to recent estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, there are as many as 10-11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States. Two-three million are children. This estimate reflects an increase from 7.5 million projected by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2000. About 70 percent of the undocumented immigrant population has resided in the country for five years or more. Approximately 450,000 new undocumented immigrants enter the United States each year. As lawmakers and government officials consider various proposals designed to strengthen immigration law enforcement, one of the central issues in the immigration reform debate is how the United States should respond to the presence of the large undocumented population in our nation.
Justice for Immigrants - Mexican Migration Project
The MMP is a multidisciplinary research effort between investigators in Mexico and the United States. It has offices, in Mexico, at the Departamento de Investigacion sobre Movimientos Sociales of the University of Guadalajara and, in the United States, at the Office of Population Research of Princeton University.
Office of Population Research, Princeton University - Mapping Immigration
- Mapping Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs)
These maps show LPRs in the United States for various years by class of admission and region/country of birth. - Mapping Naturalized Citizens
These maps show the distribution of naturalized citizens in the United States for various years by state, class of admission, and region/country of birth.
- Mapping Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs)
- California Data Tables on Cash Assistance Programs for Immigrants
Monthly statistics on CAPI applications received, requests for restorations, and applications approved or denied.
Data Systems and Survey Design Bureau, California Department of Social Services
Population and Demographics
- The Unique Challenges to the Well-Being of California's Border Kids
This new report on California's "border kids"--the 800,000 children living in San Diego and Imperial counties--challenges many commonly-held stereotypes. A comprehensive set of indicators of border kids' health, education and economic well-being is provided.
Children Now
June 2007 - The Changing Landscape of American Public Education: New Students, New Schools [ PDF ]
This report examines the intersection of two trends that have transformed the landscape of American public education in recent years: a rapid increase in enrollment and a surge in the opening of new schools. The report describes the racial and ethnic components of enrollment growth at various levels of the K-12 system. It also examines the composition of enrollment in newly-opened schools and older schools still in operation as well as the impact of rapid growth in Hispanic enrollment. Detailed statistics at the state level are also provided.
Pew Hispanic Center
October 5, 2006 - A Snapshot of Children on the San Diego-Mexico Border
This 8-page report highlights disparities in child well-being in several areas of San Diego County with highly concentrated Latino residents and Mexican immigrants.
Children Now
July 2006 - Border Kids Count: A Snapshot of Children Living on Mexico's Northern Border
This report provides a close look at the Mexico and U.S. border region as it pertains to the 2 million children living in Mexico's northern border region -- defined as the 37 border cities within Mexico's six northern states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
2006 - U.S. Border Populations [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
U.S.-Mexico border counties, from San Diego County in California to Cameron County in Texas, are currently home to 6.7 million persons, which, if they were a state, would make it the 13th largest in the Union. The combination of geographic proximity and economic integration between two very different nations has resulted in unique population characteristics in the southwest border region. Population growth in the border region has grown at a far faster rate than that of the population as a whole in both the United States and Mexico. In the United States, the four southwest border states have accounted for more than one-third of the nation's population growth since 2000, a pace far faster than any of the four U.S. Census Bureau's regions.1 Population is affected by the two national economies of the United States and Mexico that create distinct economic challenges. Mexico's population growth rate is strikingly higher than that of the United States.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - A Snapshot of Children on the California-Mexico Border
This 8-page report highlights disparities in child well-being in several areas of San Diego County with highly concentrated Latino residents and Mexican immigrants.
Children Now
June 2005 - Mexico Border Populations and Policy Linkages [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
U.S.-Mexico border communities are inherently tied together by history, culture, and socio-economics. Terms such as "border pairs," "sister cities," and "borderplex regions" are commonly used to describe U.S.-Mexico border communities. Given the importance of population to economic activity, an understanding of Mexico's border population is important, inasmuch as it provides the context for the southwest border region's past and future development. In addition, policy makers at all levels of government are unlikely to be successful if they do not engage in 360 degree thinking; incorporating the impacts of Mexico's proximity, whether positive or negative, into their policy deliberations. Similar to the United States, Mexico's border populations are concentrated primarily in the same regions as their U.S. counterparts, the exception being the Middle Rio Grande on the Mexico side which has a substantial population not matched by a U.S. counterpart. There are 35 border municipios in Mexico; three in Baja California, six in Coahuila, six in Chihuahua, one in Nuevo León, ten in Sonora, and nine in Tamaulipas.1 A municipio in Mexico is equivalent to a county in the United States. Only one of Nuevo León's municipios is actually on the boundary line with the United States while Monterrey is about 150 miles from the border.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Demographic Futures for California: Projections 1970 to 2020 that Include a
Growing Immigrant Population with Changing Needs and Impacts [ PDF ]
Projections for the state and selected counties are prepared for 5- year intervals from 1980 to 2020, including age, sex, and race- ethnic dimensions.
School of Policy, Planning and Development, University of Southern California
January 2001
Economic Development, Trade, and Finance
- Fifty Years of Change on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Growth, Development and Quality of Live
The U.S. and Mexican border regions have experienced rapid demographic and economic growth over the last fifty years. In this analysis, Joan Anderson and James Gerber offer a new perspective on the changes and tensions pulling at the border from both sides through a discussion of cross-border economic issues and thorough analytical research that examines not only the dramatic demographic and economic growth of the region, but also shifts in living standards, the changing political climate, and environmental pressures, as well as how these affect the lives of people in the border region.
Joan B. Anderson and James Gerber, University of Texas Press, 2007. - Borderless Biotech & Mexico's Emerging Life Sciences Industry [ PDF ]
This briefing paper is an initial look at the multiplicity of opportunities that exist in Mexico. It provides some insight into what may be the barriers to harnessing necessary capabilities on the part of the Mexicans, but also vis-à-vis perceptions of Mexico by the life science clusters in San Diego and Orange Counties. The report highlights the contributions Mexican scientists and companies have made to the development of life sciences, and provides introductions to the regions identified by Merck. It is also a reminder of the capabilities of Baja California, and their connection to the greater San Diego region.
San Diego Dialogue, UCSD
June 2007 - A Review of the Major Economic Sectors in the Imperial-Mexicali Valleys [ PDF ]
The first bulletin for this year covers a number of the major economic indicators for the Imperial Valley and Mexicali. It begins with the employment data for the binational region. As the employment situations are different on either side of the border, direct comparisons are not made but the major sectors are reviewed. The next set of data provide a comparison of the top five agricultural products by value for the Imperial Valley and Mexicali. The values are shown in different currencies for the United States and Mexico but the total harvested area is provided in acres even though the Mexicali system is based in hectares.
California Center for Border and Regional Economic Studies
January/February 2007 - OECD Economic Outlook No. 80 - Mexico [ PDF ]
Summary of economic developments and projections for Mexico taken from the latest OECD Economic Outlook.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
November 28, 2006 - Mexico: Selected Issues [ PDF ]
Having implemented major reforms over the course of the last 20 years, Mexico now enjoys a degree of economic stability and per capita income that compares favorably with most of Latin America. Since 2003, Mexico's economy has grown by 3-4 percent a year. On the other hand, Mexico's income over a longer period has not been converging with that of other OECD members. And while Mexico's growth record is similar to that of many other countries in the region, it falls short of that in some other emerging market countries, suggesting that there is scope to raise long-run growth to a higher sustainable path. This paper surveys the evidence and arguments about what has prevented higher growth, to form a summary diagnosis of key areas for structural reforms needed to lift growth constraints and raise living standards.
International Monetary Fund
October 11, 2006 - Mexico's Competitiveness: Reaching Its Potential [ PDF ]
The objective of this report for Mexico's competitiveness is to inform policy makers, the private sector, and the public at large about competitiveness priorities and shortcomings in Mexico, and to point the way forward on improving competitiveness. The report highlights constraints to competitiveness and identifies key high impact interventions to maximize Mexico's potential for efficiency, generate jobs, and move the country to a more innovation-driven stage of development. It draws on a series of focused analytical pieces that were conducted for Phases 1 and 2 of the Programmatic Analytical and Advisory Activities, as well as extensive World Bank work on competitiveness issues in Mexico and beyond. The report also recognizes that the Fox administration has taken important steps that have laid a solid foundation for future efforts. Yet, improving competitiveness is a long-term challenge that the next administration will face over the coming years.
The World Bank
August 10, 2006 - Income [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
Economic development of the U.S.-Mexico border county region is a paradox of growth without progress. Throughout the 1990s, border counties witnessed economic gains, best captured by lower unemployment rates and growth in jobs and income,1 yet would rank 39th if considered a 51st state based on per capita income. Income and employment rates both grew at a faster pace than the national average, as seen in Figures 4.1 and 4.2.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Labor Force, Labor Pool and Unemployment [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
One of the factors contributing to the labor market, as well as to lower overall income levels along the border, is low labor force participation rates which measure adults 16 years and older in the labor force. In 2003, the participation rate for all border counties was 61.7 percent. Removing San Diego and Pima counties, the rate falls to 57.3 percent compared to the remaining U.S. rate of 64.9 percent. Rates of participation also varied widely among individual border counties, with Hidalgo (NM) reporting a low of 44.9 percent, a percentage of more than 20 points from the top five counties (Jeff Davis, Terrell, Brewster, Presidio, and San Diego).
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Employment [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
Throughout the 1990s, employment growth in U.S. border counties outpaced the nation. Within the 10 year period of 1993 to 2003, total full-time and part-time jobs increased by nearly 800,000 to almost 3.5 million, with half of the actual job gains accounted for by San Diego, and another quarter accounted for by Pima and El Paso counties. Aggregate border employment, like income and the labor force, is population dependent; but, the growth in employment in the region would rank it 7th when including San Diego, and place between 4th and 5th without San Diego when viewed as a 51st state. Not surprisingly, the five largest border county populations - San Diego, Pima, El Paso, Hidalgo (TX), and Cameron - accounted for 86.2 percent of the entire job market along the border in 2003. Meanwhile, eight of the smaller border counties had less than 5,000 jobs each.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Trade and Border Traffic [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
Differences in border-crossing patterns between U.S. southwest ports of entry are primarily attributable to city size and geography, and existed long before the passage of North American Free Trade Agreement. Greater people and vehicle flows occur where a U.S. border city and its neighboring Mexican city have a larger combined populace. Although southwestern border counties would rank 13th in population if considered a 51st state, border counties would rank 22nd in U.S. state rankings on the allocation of federal highway planning and construction expenditures between 1993 and 2003. Southwestern border counties also support the nation's industrial base by geographically being located on the well established trade corridors from Mexico to the industrial Northeast, Midwest, and other regional markets. As a result, there is greater traffic along the entry points closer in distance or connected to well-established transportation nodes, such as interstate highways. In addition, within southwest border counties, especially urban centers, commuting and local traffic issues are recognized as growing but still far removed in terms of the scale of traffic impediments faced by most of the nation's urban areas.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Housing [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
Housing in southwest border counties is marked by two positive factors that many areas of the nation cannot claim. First, home ownership is higher than in most of the nation which would rank border counties 22nd as a 51st state. Second, the median price of a home places the region 37th as a 51st state, a ranking that falls to 45th without San Diego. Low housing costs are also passed to the rental market which provides more affordability than much of the nation. Low median housing values provide southwest border counties an excellent opportunity to attract in-migration for those seeking to lessen the financial burden of housing, for attracting industries that are looking at housing as a key factor in relocation and for retirees, flocking to the sunbelt for, among other reasons, affordable housing.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Economic Development in the California and Arizona Counties Bordering Mexico [ PDF ]
The California and Arizona counties that border Mexico are extremely poor regions that have not been able to capitalize on the global manufacturing that occurs just south of communities. One theory is that these communities do not have the sufficient infrastructure to build their economies. This 24-month project focused on conducting outreach to these communities to receive additional infrastructure funding from the Economic Development Administration to build up the local economies. From this work, it was found that many of these communities have more systematic issues than just a lack of infrastructure. The border communities are unable to compete for businesses with the neighboring cities in Mexico because of the differences in the economies. A company can go to Mexico and pay $20 per day while on the U.S. side of the border they are expected to pay a living wage of at least $10 per hour plus benefits. Additionally, the EDA will continue to have a difficult time funding projects in the border communities as the realities of the communities make it difficult for them to be eligible for EDA funding.
California Center for Border and Regional Economic Studies
February 2006 - Local Government Capacity and Quality of Life in the U.S.-Mexican Border: The Case of Calexico and Mexicali [ PDF ]
This is a multidisciplinarian study of local governance and the quality of life in the Calexico and Mexicali twin cities, located on the U.S.-Mexican border. The purpose is to describe the economic and political capacity of local governments and quality of life in the region, and then, analyze the connections between the two. In the analysis of this topic, the phenomenon of the global marketplace and theories on the U.S.- Mexican border are explored. Local governance is reviewed from a perspective of the federalist systems in the United States and Mexico to evaluate the political and economic capacity of the two cities. Quality of life is studied through the collection of objective and subjective indicators. Two surveys were conducted to understand the perspectives of the residents; one was based on quantitative data and the other was grounded in qualitative information. Additionally, a number of comparisons are made to provide context to the findings. Although the quality of life in the region is rated as satisfactory by the residents, local governments do not have the necessary capacity, either political or economic, to deal with quality of life challenges. Additionally, in order for life to be improved in the region, community development and the democratic process need to be improved. This study concludes with a number of recommendations to improve the capacity of the city and municipality to deliver basic services and, thereby, enhance the quality of life in the region
California Center for Border and Regional Economic Studies
January 2006 - Borderless Innovation
The global economic landscape has changed dramatically during the past several years. The number of regions around the world that have the skills and capabilities to compete in science and technology-based industries has grown, offering leading companies numerous options for where they locate facilities or source their products. As the first major report to emerge from the Crossborder Innovation and Competitiveness Initiative, Borderless Innovation examines opportunities and challenges for the San Diego-Baja California region to enhance its competitiveness and remain a leader in the global economy.
San Diego Dialogue, UCSD
January 2006 - Lessons from NAFTA for Latin America & the Caribbean
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has spurred economic development in Mexico, but is not enough to achieve economic convergence with Canada and the United States even in the long run without investment in innovation, infrastructure and adequate institutions, a new World Bank study says.
The World Bank
December 17, 2003 - Human Resources Issues: US-Mexico Joint Ventures [ PDF ]
Regional trade alliances, such as the NAFTA, have motivated an increasing number of US multinationals to set up joint ventures in Mexico. While such ventures require both sides to understand and use different management practices, practitioners are paying increasing attention to the human resources aspect of such ventures.
US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce
December 10-12, 2001 - NAFTA and Maquiladoras: Is the Growth Connected? [ PDF ]
After Canada, Mexico and the United States adopted NAFTA in 1994, the growth of Mexican maquiladora plants soared. These plants typically import U.S. inputs, process them and ship them back to the United States. Because maquiladoras involve U.S.-Mexico trade and their growth acceleration coincided with NAFTA's inception, many concluded that the trade agree- ment caused this growth. However, after examining the relationship, we find that what explains maquiladora growth before NAFTA can also explain it after NAFTA.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - Transportation: Infrastructure and the Border Economy [ PDF ]
On a typical day, about 205,000 vehicles and 97,000 pedestrians cross the Texas-Mexico border.1 The 15,000 commercial trucks and 1,220 railcars that traverse the border daily highlight the importance of international trade to this region. In addition, the many shopping malls, grocery stores and discount supercenters attest to the numbers of Mexican nationals crossing the border to buy goods ranging from pasteurized milk to expensive clothes and jewelry. The costs of building and maintaining infrastructure to service international trade, however, remain a challenge.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - Housing Affordability: Outlook Improving Along the Border [ PDF ]
In recent years the U.S. homeownership rate has reached historic levels. The 66.8 percent recorded in 1999 is the highest since the statistic was first collected in 1965. Texas experienced a similar trend in 1999, posting the highest home-ownership rate since 1984. The most recent statistics available for Texas-Mexico border communities show home-ownership rates comparable to those of Texas as a whole. In 1990, Texas' 60.9 percent rate was only slightly above El Paso's 58.7 percent and several points below Brownsville's 64.4 percent.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - The Border: Is it Really a Low-Wage Area? [ PDF ]
Arbitrage is a basic tenet of economics: If prices are relatively low in one location, buyers move in and bid prices up until parity with other areas is achieved. In labor markets, arbitrage implies that firms should be drawn to low-wage areas, causing job growth to be highest where pay is lowest, as long as all other things-taxes, public services, rents, access to customers and so forth-are equal.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - Texas Border Cities: An Income Growth Perspective [ PDF ]
Texas border cities are characterized by certain economic features: more transportation and distribution activity than in other U.S. cities, a relatively large retail sector and a large government sector. The six cities of Brownsville, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, El Paso, Laredo and McAllen fit this description. However, these cities also have differences that make it difficult to generalize about their future or the outcome of various policy proposals based solely on border location.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - Maquiladoras: Impact on Texas Border Cities [ PDF ]
Mexico's maquiladora industry has become an increasingly significant component of the Mexican economy as well as an important part of U.S. corporate strategy in achieving competitively priced goods in the world marketplace. Maquiladoras are largely concentrated in Mexican cities that border the United States. Since Texas encompasses about half the U.S.-Mexico border, maquiladoras are especially relevant to the state's economy.
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
June 2001 - Minimum Wages by Geographic Area: 1992-2007 (Mexico)
Secretaría de Trabajo y Previsión Social
1992 - 2005
Environment and Quality of Life
- OECD Statistical Profile of Mexico - 2006
More than 100 indicators covering a wide range of areas: economy, agriculture, education, energy, environment, foreign aid, health and quality of life, industry, information and communications, population/labour force, trade and investment, taxation, public expenditure and R&D. Click on the red i beside each indicator to obtain the unit of measure, a short introductory text, a detailed definition of the indicator, comments on comparability of the data, and a list of references for further information on the indicator. To compare Mexico with other OECD countries, click on the table and chart icons at the end of each row to obtain the comparative data in Excel format.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
May 24, 2007 (last extraction date) - BECC-NADB Joint Status Report [ PDF ]
The Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADB) were created as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The BECC, located in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, and the NADB, located in San Antonio, Texas, constitute a binational approach to environmental infrastructure development and financing in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Projects assisted by the BECC and the NADB focus on improving the environment and health of communities located within 100 kilometers (about 62 miles) north of the international boundary in the four U.S. states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California and within 300 km. (about 186 miles) south of the border in the six Mexican states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California.
Border Environment Cooperation Commission and the North American Development Bank
December 31, 2006 - State of the Border Region [ PDF ]
Border 2012: U.S.-Mexico Environmental Program Indicators Report 2005
Border 2012 is a ten-year cooperative program designed "to protect the environment and public health in the U.S.-Mexico border region, consistent with the principles of sustainable development." Federal, state, tribal and local institutions and agencies collaboratively work to produce prioritized and sustained actions that consider the needs of the border communities. The actions implemented under Border 2012 are guided through a series of results-oriented goals and objectives, and measure by environmental and performance indicators.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: US-Mexico Border Program - Border 2012
December 2006 - Border 2012 U.S. - Mexico Environmental Program: California/Baja California Accomplishments [ PDF ]
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: US-Mexico Border Program - Border 2012
2006 - The Mexican Healthcare System: A Federal Perspective [ PDF ]
Enrique Ríos, M.D. Dr.P.H.
National Director
Migrant Health Program
Mexico Ministry of Health
August 10, 2006 - Briefing note for OECD Health Data 2006: MEXICO [ PDF ]
Total health spending accounted for 6.5% of GDP in Mexico in 2004, more than two percentage points lower than the average of 8.9% in OECD countries.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
June 26, 2006 - Health and Health Care [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
The U.S.-Mexico border counties health and health care systems face a much different set of issues than the rest of the nation. As a starting point, if considered a 51st state, the southwestern border counties would rank last in the presence of health care professionals.1 With many southwestern border counties unable to provide basic health services to residents there are several "health professional shortage areas" (HPSAs) designated by the federal government. This human resource problem in border counties leads to basic health maintenance challenges which are compounded by lack of insurance, lack of access to health care facilities, and low per-capita income. The result of this mix of factors is well documented and leads to uncompensated care to hospitals soaring past $800 million dollars annually in the southwest border counties, approximately 3 percent of all uncompensated costs in U.S. hospitals per year, according to the American Hospital Association.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - The Environment [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
Environmental issues impacting border counties relate to pollution levels, water quality and use, air quality, land use, and the existence of colonias. Environmental factors are viewed by many as key to the quality of life in a region, and may become aggravated by a lack of fiscal and capital resources necessary to address clean-up, remediation, and other issues. In many cases, there are critical environmental needs in the border area that include some form of near-term intervention requiring substantial investments of both time and funding.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Public and Higher Education [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
It is generally agreed that education is perhaps the most important component of regional economic growth. As an example, one need only compare San Diego County to Cameron County, the counties at the opposite ends of the southwestern border. In San Diego County, 30 percent (29.6%) of the population has earned a four-year college degree or higher. By contrast, Cameron County reports a rate that is less than half of San Diego (13.3%). The same trend holds for high school graduation rates and emphasizes what has been promoted for decades - education matters! Over the course of a work life, individuals with a college degree will earn one million dollars more than their high school graduate counterparts, and the gap widens for non-high school graduates.1 These education disparities highlight the problems border counties are facing in the educational arena. The root of these problems lie in the fact that the education shortfall in the region exists at all levels of the education system, from pre-kindergarten through college, and prevails among all age groups. Unless these trends change significantly, the simple fact is the border will never catch up with the U.S. mainstream.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - U.S.-Mexico Border Environment: Air Quality and Transportation & Cultural and Natural Resources
This year's report, the Board's Ninth Report to the President and Congress, provides advice from two angles on maintaining healthy environmental quality along the U.S.-Mexico border. First, it examines the relationship between the region's air quality and the transportation activities upon which its economy - indeed, the nation's economy - depends. The second topic, equally complex, is the interplay among ecosystem conditions, natural resources, and the state of the region's invaluable cultural resources such as its archaeological sites and its tribal sacred springs and mountains. For both topics, the Board's recommendations reflect its continued call for action from strong partnerships, equipped with adequate resources, that span sectors and geographic boundaries.
The Good Neighbor Environmental Board
March 2006 - Drinking Water Quality in the US-Mexico Border Region [ PDF ]
Groundwater is a major water resource along the US-Mexico border, yet SCERP or other agencies have limited information on groundwater quality. Existing data is primarily limited to salinity (i.e., total dissolved solids, conductance). This project collected several hundred samples from six Mexican states near the border (Baja California Norte, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas) from public connections to drinking water systems (i.e., this is the water people are drinking). A large number of these community water systems are supplied with groundwater, although several larger cities also have access to surface waters which after treatment are used for drinking water. Water quality analysis during this project focused on chemical constituents, and could serve as a model for a follow-up study on microbial water quality in groundwater. The goal of this project was to develop an understanding for broad geographical distribution in Mexico of public drinking water quality. Most drinking water originates as groundwater.
Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research & Policy
February 17, 2006 [Last Updated] - Children's Health and the Environment in North America: A First Report on Available Indicators and Measures - Country Report: Mexico [ PDF ]
One of the goals of this report is to focus on one of these factors: chemical releases into the environment from industrial activities. Chemical industrial releases are one important part of the puzzle but do not give a full picture of risk since chemicals from industry are only one type of pollutant. Human exposure levels to these chemicals, and other sources of pollution, are beyond the scope of this report.
This report also aims to foster increased trilateral action to prevent and reduce children's exposure to harmful chemicals. Its focus is an analysis of available data on one category of pollutant, toxic chemicals from data obtained from the national pollutant release and transfer registers (PRTRs) in North America, and emphasizes the reporting of chemical carcinogens, developmental toxicants and neurotoxicants. Although at this stage the data are available only for the United States and Canada, this report discusses in specific terms the potential impacts of these substances on the health of children in North America. It also describes the limits of what we know about these impacts based on present data. With its cross-border analysis of selected PRTR data, it provides a unique North American perspective as a basis for trilateral action.
Mexico's Secretariat of Health
December 2005 - The Real ID Act and San Diego-Tijuana Border Fencing: The New Politics of Security and Border Environmental Protection [ PDF (61.63 KB) ]
On May 11, 2005, President George W. Bush signed a most inaptly named piece of legislation, the Real ID Act of 2005, into law (PL109-13). With a stroke of the presidential pen important achievements in environmental protection along the U.S.-Mexican border were thrust into jeopardy. Remarkably, aside from a small set of local environmental activists, this bill, H.R. 1268 in its final form, H.R. 418 in the original, passed into law with scarcely a peep from national environmental groups, or border level organizations outside the San Diego area. This was not for lack of serious concern once the deed was done. The truth is, environmental groups had been caught napping or, more accurately, preoccupied, with other battles. They were outflanked by a clever maneuver in the House Rules Committee and stymied politically by arguments for homelandCread borderCsecurity. And the U.S.-Mexican border is worse for it.
by Stephen P. Mumme, Colorado State University
November 2005 - Healthy Border 2010: An Agenda for improving Health on the United States-Mexico Border [ PDF ]
The Healthy Border Program was established as the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission's binational agenda of health promotion and disease prevention in March of 2001. The program is based on the framework of Healthy People 2010 and incorporates the United States Healthy Gente Program and Mexico's Indicadores de Resultado (National Health Indicators). The framework of Healthy Border 2010 is composed of 20 health objectives held in 11 focus areas.
US-Mexico Border Health Commission
October 2003 - The United States - Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project [ PDF ]
The goal of the U.S.-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevention and Control Project is to reduce the impact of diabetes on the residents living along the U.S.-Mexico border, through a model of participation and shared leadership along the border region.
Pan American Health Organization
2003 - Energy Issues in the Calfiornia-Baja California Binational Region [ PDF ]
It is our vision that the quality of life for residents in the California-Baja California binational region will be greatly improved by the development of safe, reliable, affordable and clean sources of energy.... One way to achieve this vision is to better understand the dynamics and realities of cross border energy markets as they exist in the border region consisting of San Diego and Imperial Counties and northern Baja California. Energy is an indispensable lifeblood's of the region. It makes homes and businesses comfortable, moves people and goods, operates the machinery of industry and powers the infrastructure that underpins the region's communities. This pervasive role makes energy a key issue in the binational region's future. Energy choices made today will have significant effects on tomorrow's economy, environment and quality of life.
Border Energy Strategy Committee
July 2002 - U.S.-Mexico Border Five Year Outlook (2001 Edition) [ PDF ]
Spanning more than 2,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, the U.S.-Mexico border region (100 km. or 62 mi. on each side of the border) is home to about 12 million people. Rapidly increasing population and industrialization in the border cities over several decades continue to overwhelm existing wastewater, water supply, and solid waste infrastructure. Untreated or partially treated domestic and industrial sewage flows to surface water are common along the border. In addition, thousands of residents on both sides of the border lack safe drinking water and adequate solid waste disposal facilities.
North American Development Bank
2001 - Mortality Profiles of the Sister Communities on the United States - Mexico Border [ PDF ]
The border between the United States and Mexico delimits four states of the United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) and six states of Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas). It stretches from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico-a distance of more than 2,000 miles (3,400 km). According to the 1990 censuses of both countries, the total population of the border region is estimated at 9.1 million persons distributed in 24 counties of the United States (5.2 million) and 39 municipalities of Mexico (3.9 million). The populations on both sides of the border actively interact with one another, and their interdependence, for purposes of public health, requires that the border region be looked at as one geographic region with an interworking of local, state, and national governments.
Pan American Health Organization
2000 - Prevention of Childhood Toxic Lead Exposure in a U.S.-Mexico Border Community [ PDF ]
Childhood lead exposure is an endemic health problem on the U.S.-Mexican border. The average incidence rate of elevated blood lead levels in low-income children in El Paso County was 7.7 percent in 1995. Among low-income children residing in colonias and decayed urban areas the rates are as high as 10 percent (Texas Department of Health 1995). The disproportionate risk endured by these children is quantifiable only on the U.S. side of the border.
Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research & Policy
2000
Rule of Law and Security
- Justice in Mexico Project
This is the main website of the Justice in Mexico Project - A research project by the USD Trans-Border Institute (TBI) dedicated to the rule of law and justice reform in Mexico. The TBI Justice in Mexico Project coordinates and disseminates research on three major components of the rule of law: (1) order; (2) accountability and; (3) Equal access to justice. The Justice in Mexico Project focuses on the status of the rule of law at the sub-national level and on reforms in the administration of justice across Mexican states. This website is meant to serve as a tool for the dissemination of information and publications related to this project.
USD Trans-Border Institute - Security and Intelligence in US-Mexico Relations
The relationship between Mexico and the United States has been defined by the countries' shared border, their economic interaction (which has been growing since the signing of NAFTA), and by their common geopolitical arena. In terms of security, the relationship has been defined by like-minded priorities and interests; however, these factors have not necessarily led to a formal alliance between the two countries nor a joint strategy in the face of potential threats. This characteristic of the relationship is evidenced by the absence of defense agreements and the lack of joint military exercises.
Woodrow Wilson Center
February 26, 2007 - Laws without justice: Human rights violations and impunity in the public security and criminal justice system [ PDF ]
Amnesty International hopes that the administration of Mexico's new president, Felipe Calderon, will seize the opportunity to achieve substantial and lasting progress in the protection of human rights within the country. A key challenge will be to advance some of the principal reforms to the criminal justice system proposed in 2004, but which have since remained stalled in Congress. This report examines in detail some of the failings of criminal justice system which often result in the arbitrary and unfair application of the law in Mexico, and presents recommendations to the government in five main areas: international human rights standards; public security and the criminal justice system; accountability; human rights defenders and rights of victims.
Amnesty International Mexico
February 7, 2007 - Crime and Law Enforcement [ PDF ]
Chapter excerpt taken from "At the Crossroads: US/Mexico Border Counties in Transition"
The contemporary situation in southwest border counties relating to crime and law enforcement is quite different than many would expect. Consider, for example, that some of the nation's safest cities are located along the southwest border, including Tucson and El Paso. Given the link of crime to important quality of life decisions, the low rate of crime in southwest border counties, combined with attributes, such as affordable housing is part of the landscape of increasing retirement in the southwest. Since 1990, official crime statistics have recorded a dramatic drop of 30 percent (Figure 13.1). Property crimes are down 40 percent between 1990 and 2000 and violent crimes, among the lowest in the nation making up only 12 percent of all crimes, dropped 29 percent in the same decade.
US/Mexico Border Counties Coalition
March 2006 - Public Insecurity in Mexico: Statistics and Analysis
The Instituto Ciudadano de Estudios Sobre la Inseguridad (Citizen Institute for the Study on Insecurity, ICESI) is a civic organization sponsored by academic institutions (National University of México, UNAM; the Technologic Institute of Monterrey and Este Pais Foundation ) and the private sector (Consejo Coordinador Empresarial and COPARMEX). The ICESI has recently concluded its third "National Survey on Insecurity" (Encuesta Nacional Sobre Inseguridad, ENSI-3). This survey accounts for two major aspects of public insecurity in Mexico. First, it presents data on the personal experiences of those Mexicans that have been victims of violence. Second, the survey documents the public perception of crime and insecurity in 2004. The ENSI-3 followed the methodological recommendations of United Nations for criminal analysis.
Análisis de Resultados, Arturo Arango Durán [ PDF (483.90 KB) ]
The Instituto Ciudadano de Estudios Sobre la Inseguridad (Citizen Institute for the Study on Insecurity, ICESI)
November 2005 - Nontraditional Security Threats in the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Relationship: Overview and Recommendations
Before September 11, 2001, security-primarily, anti-drug trafficking efforts-ranked among the top two or three issues in Mexico-U.S. relations. Since that day, security has dominated the U.S. policy agenda in foreign affairs, including the bilateral agenda. Mexico, which had put more emphasis on migration reform, has accepted the new reality as defined by the United States. This background paper identifies some of the more pressing nontraditional security threats in the U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship and suggests recommendations to address them. Inevitably somewhat U.S.-centric, my approach is to cover a good deal of ground in broad-brush strokes, providing only enough detail to buttress the main points and illustrate the recommendations.
Woodrow Wilson Center
January 25, 2005 - Rule of Law and Judicial Reform
With the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and in collaboration with institutional partners in Chile, and especially with researchers at the Universidad Alberto Hurtado's (Santiago, Chile) Centro de Etica and the Escuela de Derecho, this project of the Center for Latin American Studies at San Diego State University involves a multidimensional program of research, publication, and multimedia dissemination of research results in the area of democratic governance and judicial reform in Chile in comparative perspective.
Center for Latin American Studies, San Diego State University - Human Rights in Latin America
Research Resources
Center for Latin American Studies, San Diego State University
Religion and Culture
- Latino/a Bibliography of Theology and Religious Studies
The online Latino/a Bibliography of Theology and Religious Studies is a project and service of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S. (ACHTUS), designed for its members and for scholars, students and pastoral agents anywhere who need accurate, complete and frequently updated bibliographical information on and by U.S. Latino/a Catholics and Episcopalians. The user can search this bibliographical database by subject (e.g., systematic theology, pastoral theology, church history, biblical studies, etc.), author's name, year of publication, type of publication (e.g., books, articles in printed journals, chapters in collective volumes, articles in electronic journals, etc.), and keywords.
Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S. (ACHTUS)
