Research Library

The Center for U.S. and Mexico’s Mexico Country Outlook 2025 offers expert insights on key issues shaping the future of the region, including economic reforms, regulatory changes, security concerns, and shifting political dynamics. This annual report also examines major challenges facing the Sheinbaum and Trump administrations and assesses their potential impact on U.S.-Mexico relations in the year ahead.

Climate change and human rights experts predict that by 2050, as many as 200 million people worldwide may need to relocate due to climate-induced weather disasters and environmental shifts. This issue brief examines the current trends in human migration and argues that planned relocation can be a more effective long-term strategy than waiting for emergencies to force action.

Constitutional reforms currently underway in Mexico will have significant consequences for both competition and regulation within the country’s energy sector. A new report from the Center for the U.S. and Mexico, authored by nonresident scholar Miriam Grunstein, examines the background of these reforms and their potential impact within Mexico and beyond.

Marijuana use in the U.S. is at an all-time high. While many cannabinoid compounds are available, state laws regulating them vary widely. A new issue brief and interactive map from the Drug Policy Program detail the chemical composition of popular cannabis products and their shifting legal statuses. These resources are designed to help readers navigate the increasingly complex cannabis market and understand current federal and state mandates.

Houston’s tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZs) were legislated to help finance the economic and infrastructural development for the city‘s most underfunded areas; however, TIRZs can have had the opposite effect. A new issue brief by experts from the Center for Public Finance examines the regressive impact of TIRZs through geographic and census data, finding that TIRZs primarily benefit wealthier neighborhoods and higher-income Houstonians.

The U.S. health care system is grappling with a severe labor shortage, worsened by the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and an aging population. A new report from the Center for the U.S and Mexico offers recommendations to address the sector’s needs, including expanding visa availability, reforming occupational licensing, specializing recruitment, and streamlining the immigration process.

Both presidential candidates have endorsed a policy of no tax on tips. But would this approach really help the low-income workers it’s meant to support? Fellow Joyce Beebe reviews the current tax treatment of tip income, summarizing the main arguments against such a policy, potential impacts, and possible alternatives

San Diego and Tijuana, key entry points at the U.S.-Mexico border, face challenges in meeting the needs of migrants arriving in their cities due to insufficient shelter capacity, infrastructure, and funding. Ana Martín Gil’s new report examines the cities’ differing migrant reception systems and approaches to collaborative efforts among international, federal, and local groups, while also providing policy recommendations to advance the development of an orderly and humane asylum system.

Reproductive health care, which encompasses preventative screenings, family planning, and contraceptive access, is becoming increasingly inaccessible in Texas due to restrictive abortion policies. A new brief by nonresident fellow McClain Sampson and coauthor Priscilla Kennedy examines how these policies exacerbate health disparities across the state and suggests ways to make comprehensive reproductive care more accessible to Texans.

As Mexico becomes a desirable site for nearshoring, damaging environmental and social impacts on the border region may be exacerbated under the economic growth. A new report by research scholar Ivonne Cruz dissects the relationship between nearshoring’s ecological and socioeconomic risks and offers trade policy recommendations to support sustainable economic development, mitigate potential hazards, and safeguard local communities.