• Skip to page content
RAND Corporation
Objective Analysis. Effective Solutions.
Toggle Menu

Site-wide navigation

  • About RAND
    • RAND at a Glance
    • Vision
    • History and Mission
    • Leadership
    • Organizational Structure
    • Contacts
    • Locations
    • Quality Standards
    • Educational Opportunities
    • Employment
  • RAND Campaign
  • Press Room
  • Events
  • Research

    Research Areas

    • Children, Families, and Communities
    • Cyber and Data Sciences
    • Education and Literacy
    • Energy and Environment
    • Health, Health Care, and Aging
    • Homeland Security and Public Safety
    • Infrastructure and Transportation
    • International Affairs
    • Law and Business
    • National Security and Terrorism
    • Science and Technology
    • Workers and the Workplace

    Trending Topics

    • Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
    • Civic Education
    • Vaccination
    • International Economic Relations
    • Employment and Unemployment
    • Emerging Technologies
    • Racial Equity
    • Environmental and Natural Resource Management
    All Topics Browse Reports

    Research Divisions

    • Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center
    • RAND Army Research Division
    • RAND Australia
    • RAND Education and Labor
    • RAND Europe
    • RAND Health Care
    • RAND National Security Research Division
    • RAND Project AIR FORCE
    • RAND Social and Economic Well-Being
    Featured Research Activities
    • RAND International
      • Center for Asia Pacific Policy
      • Center for Global Risk and Security
      • Center for Middle East Public Policy
      • Center for Russia and Eurasia
    • RAND Gulf States Policy Institute
    Research Departments
  • Latest Insights

    Reports

    • A world map puzzle with a piece on top, photo by Yuriy Panyukov/Adobe Stock

      Rethinking the U.S. Approach to the World

    • Facial recognition technology being used in an airport, photo by izusek/Getty Images

      How Law Enforcement Can Mitigate Bias in Machine Learning Decision Aids

    Blog Posts

    • Mother working on a laptop while holding her  baby, photo by monkeybusinessimages/Getty Images

      Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue

    • Patients in the hallway as St. Mary Medical Center during the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Apple Valley, California, January 12, 2021, photo by Mike Blake/Reuters

      Who Gets Care When Hospitals Are Overwhelmed? Clear Policies Are Often Lacking

    Multimedia

    • Strategies for Denuclearization

      Strategies for Pushing North Korea Toward Denuclearization

    • Policy Currents

      The Policy Currents Podcast

  • Policy Experts

    All Experts

    Spotlight
    • Michaela Bruckmayer
      Commentary:
      Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue
    • Lori Frank @LoriBethFrank
      Commentary:
      Who Gets Care When Hospitals Are Overwhelmed? Clear Policies Are Often Lacking

    By Research Area

    • Children, Families, and Communities
    • Cyber and Data Sciences
    • Education and Literacy
    • Energy and Environment
    • Health, Health Care, and Aging
    • Homeland Security and Public Safety
    • Infrastructure and Transportation
    • International Affairs
    • Law and Business
    • National Security and Terrorism
    • Science and Technology
    • Workers and the Workplace
  • Capabilities

    Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms.

    • Capabilities Overview
    • RAND Solutions
    Who We Work For
    • Public Sector
    • Philanthropic Sector
    • Private Sector
    Work with Us
    • Explore Business Contacts
    About RAND Research
    • Disciplinary Expertise
    • Quality Standards

    Featured Solutions

    • A servicemember and his wife hold hands

      Getting to Know Military Caregivers and Their Needs

    • Sunrise over Louisiana wetlands

      Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change

    • Depressed woman talking to her therapist

      Improving Psychological Wellbeing and Work Outcomes in the UK

    • Deploying soldiers test new female body armor prototype

      Lightening Body Armor

  • Graduate School

    The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PRGS.edu) is the largest public policy Ph.D. program in the nation and the only program based at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

    • About PRGS
    • Admissions
    • Academics and Degree Program
    • Students
    • Faculty

    Featured Video on PRGS.edu

    Overview: Pardee RAND Graduate School

    Student Spotlight

    • damien baveye, b1078
      Damien Baveye

      Assistant Policy Researcher; Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

    • david desmet
      David DeSmet

      Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND; Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School

  • About

  • 中文(简体)
  • العربية
  • Sign In Sign out
  • Cart
Toggle Search
  1. RAND
  2. >The RAND Blog
/content/rand/blog/jcr:content/par/bloglist .topic.mexico
The RAND Blog

Mexico

  • A stretch of Hadrian's Wall at Walton's Crags in Northumberland, England, photo by Gannet77/Getty Images
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Hadrian's Wall Was a Policy Statement; So Is Donald Trump's

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

    Mar 6, 2019

    United Press International

    It's not clear if Hadrian's Wall was necessary to prevent Scottish fighters from invading the Roman Empire. Neither is it clear how effective Trump's wall would be at repelling undocumented immigration and smugglers. Hadrian's Wall may have been of symbolic value to those on both sides of it. Trump's could be, too.

    Read More »
  • Politics and Government

    blog

    Shutdown, Hezbollah, Border Wall: RAND Weekly Recap

    Feb 15, 2019

    This weekly recap focuses on Americans' financial fragility, Hezbollah in Venezuela, assessing the effectiveness of a border wall, and more.

    Read More »
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials detain migrants from Central America in San Diego County, California, January 16, 2019, photo by Mohammed Salem/Reuters
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    The Wall Is Not the Only Answer

    Blas Nunez-Neto

    Feb 8, 2019

    The Hill

    The president and Congress have just days to negotiate an agreement over border security, or the government may shut down once again. Until a bipartisan effort is made to reform U.S. immigration laws, policy options to address the incentives that cause people to risk their lives to come to the border to claim asylum will continue to be limited.

    Read More »
  • After crossing from Mexico by jumping a border fence, migrants run next to a prototype of the border wall in Otay County, California, December 21, 2018
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    What Border Walls Can and Cannot Accomplish

    Raphael S. Cohen

    Jan 8, 2019

    Fox News Channel

    States have been building walls since ancient times. Some were arguably quite successful, others less so. At the core of prudent policy lies a basic question: What can walls realistically accomplish?

    Read More »
  • Daniel holds 1-year-old Daniela, both from El Salvador, as a group of migrants from Central America en route to the United States crossed through the Suchiate River into Mexico, November 2, 2018
    Migrants

    commentary

    America's Overwhelmed Immigration System

    Blas Nunez-Neto

    Dec 5, 2018

    Dallas Morning News

    The Trump administration's options to deal with the surge of asylum seekers arriving at the U.S. border appear to be limited. What policies could help address the problem?

    Read More »
  • Presidential front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the National Regeneration Movement addresses supporters during a rally in Atlixco, Mexico, June 6, 2018
    Mexico

    commentary

    How the Results of the Mexican Election Could Impact U.S. National Defense

    Sean M. Zeigler

    Jun 7, 2018

    Dallas Morning News

    The United States and Mexico collaborate in several important areas. In particular, the relationship is strong on the military-to-military front. But the upcoming Mexican presidential election could change this dynamic.

    Read More »
  • People speak through the U.S.-Mexico border wall at Border Field State Park in San Diego, California, November 18, 2017
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Prioritizing Security at the U.S. Border with Mexico

    Blas Nunez-Neto

    Jan 29, 2018

    U.S. News & World Report

    As debate on border security continues, policymakers would be wise to look beyond the heated rhetoric to clearly identify priorities and make informed decisions about how best to deploy finite resources to get the strongest security for the investment.

    Read More »
  • The border fence between United States and Mexico
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    The Big Border Security Question

    Blas Nunez-Neto

    Dec 9, 2017

    U.S. News & World Report

    What does a secure U.S.-Mexico border look like? And what kind of security measures are needed? Despite investing billions of dollars since 9/11, it's still a struggle to measure how effective U.S. border security operations are.

    Read More »
  • Prototypes for a U.S. border wall are shown near completion behind the current border fence near Tijuana, Mexico, October 23, 2017
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Broken Border or Broken Policy?

    Blas Nunez-Neto

    Nov 17, 2017

    U.S. News & World Report

    What does a secure land border look like? The U.S. government's inability to provide an answer has trapped America in a vicious cycle. Every decade, the perception that the U.S.-Mexico border isn't secure enough leads to big investments—with mixed results.

    Read More »
  • Border fence between San Diego, California, U.S. and Tijuana, Mexico
    Immigration and Emigration

    commentary

    Would a Border Wall Be Effective?

    Scott Savitz

    Sep 26, 2016

    Dallas Morning News

    A wall along the U.S. border with Mexico would be a wasteful endeavor. Like many walls throughout history, it would probably be undermined by tunnels. And in general, fences and walls don't prevent people from crossing boundaries. They merely slow people down.

    Read More »
  • Unaccompanied minors and a family stand next to Honduran border policemen after being detained at a porous border known as La Montanita, on the border of Honduras with Guatemala, June 20, 2014
    Immigration and Emigration

    commentary

    Understanding and Addressing the Unaccompanied Minor Immigration Issue

    Ernesto F. L. Amaral, Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

    Apr 22, 2016

    The Hill

    The number of unaccompanied child immigrants apprehended at the U.S. southwest border is on the rise again, the majority of them coming not from Mexico, but from Central America. Research could provide valuable information to policymakers as they try to find ways to help young immigrants.

    Read More »
  • Artist Ana Teresa Fernandez and members of cultural organization Border/Arte paint the fence between Mexico and the U.S. to give it the illusion of transparency in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, April 9, 2016
    Border and Port Security

    commentary

    Walls Won't Keep Us Safe

    Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein

    Apr 15, 2016

    U.S. News & World Report

    Experience along the U.S. southern border demonstrates that even with fortifications, a wall provides only modest capacity to stop illegal crossings. More emphasis should be placed on expanding border security beyond the physical dimension.

    Read More »
  • Soldiers escort Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman at the Navy's airstrip in Mexico City, February 22, 2014
    Crime

    commentary

    El Chapo's Prison Escape Should Come as No Surprise

    Scott Savitz

    Jul 24, 2015

    Fox News Channel

    Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel and similar criminal organizations have long used tunnels to literally undermine security along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Read More »
  • Mexico border
    Security Cooperation

    commentary

    If U.S.-Mexico Get Security Right, Other Good Policy Will Follow

    Agnes Gereben Schaefer

    May 29, 2013

    Houston Chronicle

    Obama and Peña Nieto emphasized economic cooperation at their summit not because security issues have gone away, but because the new rules of the game in this nascent relationship between the two leaders are evolving, writes Agnes Gereben Schaefer.

    Read More »
  • protest against violence in Juarez, Mexico
    Illegal Drug Trade

    commentary

    Legalization in the U.S. and Crime in Mexico

    Beau Kilmer @BeauKilmer

    May 23, 2013

    NYTimes.com

    Driving Mexican marijuana out of the U.S. would probably reduce the traffickers' export revenue by a few billion dollars a year, writes Beau Kilmer. But would reducing that revenue lead to a corresponding decrease in trafficker violence?

    Read More »
  • A Homeland Security agent enters a tunnel used to smuggle drugs between the U.S. and Mexico
    Drug Policy and Trends

    commentary

    Drug Cartels an X-Factor for Obama, Peña Nieto

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

    Feb 20, 2013

    The Orange County Register

    Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and President Obama both face daunting domestic challenges and have ambitious domestic agendas, but both presidents are savvy politicians who realize that each will benefit from the other's success, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »
  • At a rally, two women hold signs calling for immigration reform
    Immigration Legislation

    blog

    Potential Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Takes Shape

    Jan 31, 2013

    A group of U.S. Senators this week unveiled a proposal to reform the nation's immigration laws, outlining a path to citizenship for most of the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants and endorsing an increase of certain types of foreign-born workers.

    Read More »
  • Protest in Mexico City against the major presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto
    Mexico

    commentary

    Will Mexico's New President Continue the War on the Cartels?

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

    Nov 16, 2012

    The RAND Blog

    During his campaign, Enrique Peña Nieto, the victorious PRI candidate, promised frightened and war-weary Mexicans a reduction in the violence, but since his election victory in July, he has sounded more and more bellicose, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »
  • Illegal Drug Trade

    commentary

    Assessing Mexico's Narco-Violence

    Benjamin Bahney, Agnes Gereben Schaefer

    May 14, 2009

    The San Diego Union-Tribune

    Drug-related violence in Mexico has more than doubled over the past 18 months, with a sharp increase in crimes that can only be understood as atrocities. The executions, assassinations, and decapitations may all seem wanton and senseless. But this violence actually has a purpose, write Benjamin Bahney and Agnes Gereben Schaefer.

    Read More »
  • Mexico

    commentary

    Could Mexico Fail?

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

    Feb 13, 2009

    Homeland Security Today

    The lawlessness along the mexicanborder has gone way beyond alocal crime wave: there has beena dramatic increase in armed robberies, not by lone gunmen but by heavily armed gangs. Kidnappings and homicides are way up—and not just murders but beheadings.... It is starting to look like a terrorist campaign, writes Brian Michael Jenkins.

    Read More »

Quoted

  • Insulated from the partisan passions that sunder our politics and our society, a January 6 Commission created by Congress or the Biden administration could analyze whether this was an isolated uprising or the harbinger of more to come. It could make recommendations to prevent such attacks in the future in Washington or at statehouses throughout the country.

    brian michael jenkins, brian jenkins

    Brian Michael Jenkins

    Senior Adviser to the RAND President

    Source: Los Angeles Times

  • The disorganized public health response to the pandemic in the United States helped ensure that the nation led the world in infections nearly from the beginning of the pandemic and it has remained there since.

    Rafiq Dossani

    Rafiq Dossani

    Director, RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy

    Source: The RAND Blog

Stay Informed

RAND Policy Currents

Stay on top of the latest RAND research highlights, news, and commentary with the official RAND email newsletter.

Explore Posts

By Content Type

  • Commentary
  • Essay
  • Announcement
  • Article
  • Q & A

By Research Area

  • Children, Families, and Communities
  • Cyber and Data Sciences
  • Education and Literacy
  • Energy and Environment
  • Health, Health Care, and Aging
  • Homeland Security and Public Safety
  • Infrastructure and Transportation
  • International Affairs
  • Law and Business
  • National Security and Terrorism
  • Science and Technology
  • Workers and the Workplace

By Top Topic

  • International Diplomacy (881)
  • Global Security (481)
  • Security Cooperation (480)
  • Politics and Government (462)
  • Counterterrorism (439)
  • China (412)
  • Russia (348)
  • International Affairs (307)
  • Syria (273)
  • Military Strategy (272)
  • Iraq (256)
  • Iran (252)
  • International Economic Relations (251)
  • Peacekeeping and Stability Operations (229)
  • The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization) (219)

Archives

  • 2021
    • January
  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2002
    • December
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2001
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2000
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • July

More +

Less -

  • Save to My RAND
  • Subscribe
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn

About

The RAND Corporation is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest.

  • Vision
  • Leadership
  • Quality Standards
  • Career Opportunities
  • Santa Monica, CA
  • Washington, DC
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • New Orleans, LA
  • Boston, MA
  • Cambridge, UK
  • Brussels, BE
  • Canberra, AU
World map of RAND office locations

Connect

Contact Us

  • Contact Us
  • Locations

I am interested in

  • Jobs at RAND
  • Media Resources
  • Congressional Resources
  • Doing Business with RAND
  • Supporting RAND
  • Educational Opportunities
  • Alumni Association

Follow

  • RAND Corporation on Facebook
  • RAND Corporation on Twitter
  • RAND Corporation on LinkedIn
  • RAND Corporation on YouTube
  • RAND Corporation on Instagram
  • RAND Corporation RSS Feeds
  • RAND Corporation mobile applications

Stay Informed

Subscribe to the weekly Policy Currents newsletter to receive updates on the issues that matter most.

Stay Informed

RAND Policy Currents

Get weekly updates from RAND.

View all email newsletters

Resources

  • Multimedia
  • Latest Reports
  • Browse by Author
  • RAND Classics
  • Databases and Tools

Site Information

  • Site Map
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Support Policy
  • Feedback
  • Help
RAND Corporation 1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, California 90401-3208
RAND® is a registered trademark. © 1994-2021 RAND Corporation.