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The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center, in collaboration with El Seminario Migración, Desigualdad y Políticas Públicas (COLMEX), hosted a seminar presenting research commissioned by the Center.

Dr. Isabel Gil Everaert examined local and binational responses to evolving mobility dynamics in Ciudad Juárez, highlighting how tensions around asylum seekers and migrant caravans have strained trade and local resources along the Ciudad Juárez–El Paso border.

México Resiliente: Impulso Bilateral brought together business, policy, and academic leaders in Monterrey to examine Mexico’s economic resilience and the future of the Mexico–Texas relationship.

The forum organized by LDB emphasized cross-sector collaboration, innovation, and long-term strategies to strengthen bilateral momentum amid evolving trade and policy dynamics.

Senior fellow from 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center Raymond Robertson participated as a panelist with Larry Rubin, President of the American Society of Mexico, and Bobby Babcock, Principal Axadvocacy

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas–Mexico Center hosted an engaging program in December 2025 featuring renowned Dallas-based documentary photographer Laura Wilson and Dr. Jesús Cañas, Senior Business Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and Faculty Board Member of the Center. Reflecting on more than two decades of artistic engagement with Mexico, Wilson shared insights into the themes that have consistently captured her attention.

Dr. Cañas guided attendees through selected photographs, offering a macro-level economic perspective on how the images illuminated the broader social and economic forces shaping modern Mexico and the U.S.–Mexico relationship. The discussion connected Wilson’s visual storytelling to the Center’s five core focus areas—Trade & Investment, Border Issues, Energy, Migration, and Human Capital & Education—providing a multidisciplinary lens that bridged art, policy, and regional economic dynamics..

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas–Mexico Center’s 9th Annual Integration Symposium convened academic experts, business leaders, and policymakers to present research on the evolving Texas–Mexico relationship. Keynote speakers focused on the growing economic interdependence between the United States and Mexico, highlighting nearshoring, regional competitiveness, and the need for stable policies and strong binational cooperation. University leaders also emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary research in addressing complex cross-border challenges.

The afternoon showcased Center-funded research on trade, migration, and border governance. Presenters examined how nearshoring is reshaping trade and infrastructure needs, how education and immigration status affect high-skilled migrants’ entrepreneurial outcomes, and how border cities coordinate responses to migration flows. The event concluded with a call for continued collaboration and evidence-based policymaking to strengthen the Texas–Mexico partnership.

Research presented on this event: 

Can Border Cities Cooperate? Cooperation on Migration between Cities along the United States-Mexico Border, By: Narayani Lasala-Blanco, Elena Sánchez Montijano, Nuty Cárdenas, and Francisco Pedraza.

High-Skilled Entrepreneurial Migration within STEM in the U.S.: An Intersectional Lens, By: Jorge Luis Alcaraz Vargas and Elizabeth Salamanca Pacheco.

Nearshoring, Free Trade, and the Impact of Crime on Northbound Crossings along the U.S.-Mexico Border, By: René Cabral, Andre Varella Mollick, and Eduard Saucedo.

The Mission Foods Texas–Mexico Center funded and hosted a webinar featuring Dr. Andrew Selee, President of the Migration Policy Institute, to discuss recent research on legal migration pathways for Latin American immigrants. The session focused on how existing visa systems have shaped migration flows from Mexico and the broader region.

The discussion highlighted center funded research on how while legal channels have grown in importance, mobility for work and education has not kept pace with deepening economic ties. Participants examined policy recommendations to better align migration systems with regional economic integration, emphasizing that modernized bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico is essential for creating safer, more orderly migration that reflects actual labor demand.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas–Mexico Center was honored to host a welcome reception for the new Consul General of Mexico in Dallas, Luis Rodriguez Bucio. The event brought together community leaders, diplomats, and academic partners to strengthen the ties between North Texas and Mexico, fostering a space for continued binational dialogue and cooperation.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas–Mexico Center hosted an expert-led webinar with Dr. Raymond Robertson, Senior Fellow at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico and Dr. Mark Wynne, Director Emeritus of the Global Institute at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, exploring the potential economic consequences of tariffs on the integrated supply chains of Texas and Mexico. Our panelists discussed the risks to regional trade, consumer prices, and the broader North American economic partnership in an era of evolving trade policy.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center in collaboration with the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøRowling Center for Business Law & Leadership and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey presented 2025 Legal symposium.

The keynote, remarks why these issues of the U.S.-Mexico relationship are relevant and why it should matter more to Americans. The panels explored what’s happening in Texas in terms of trade and migration along the border.

The Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center in collaboration with La Academia Mexicana de la Historia, Dallas-Mexico Casa Guanajuato, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøand El Consulado General de Mexico en Dallas hosted a series of conferences.

Conferences and Speakers:

February 22 - From the Bajío to Texas: Three Centuries of Shared History, By Dr. David Rex Galindo

March 22 - The Century of the Caudillo? The Democratic and Constitutional Experience of the Mexican 19th Century, By Dr. Pablo Mijangos y Gonzales

May 17 - Myths of Mexican Food: The Case of the Hidalguense Paste, By Dra. Sandra Mendiola

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted its 8th Annual Integration Symposium. This event brought together leading economists, policymakers, and academic researchers to analyze the evolving relationship between the United States and Mexico following recent national elections.

The symposium focused on the profound transformations occurring within both nations and their potential impact on bilateral trade, judicial systems, and migration policies. Central to the discussion was the upcoming 2026 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA).

Summary of Key Findings:

• Judicial Shifts: Attendees discussed deep transformations in the Mexican judicial system, including the elimination of the amparo (writ of protection), which may affect $130 billion in American foreign direct investment.
• Economic Reliance: With Texas housing nearly half of the U.S.-Mexico border, the state's local policies and cross-border practices are increasingly influential in federal outcomes.
• Future Outlook: A primary concern remains whether the three North American countries will speedily ratify the USMCA in 2026 or face lengthy negotiations.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted a webinar titled: Public Policies and Democracy in the Americas. This discussion covered the current state of democracy in Mexico and an outlook on the current state of Mexico and the Latin American region.

Featured Lecturer: Miryam Hazan, Migration Specialist, Organization of American States (OAS)

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted a Lunch with Chihuahua Business Delegation.

Featuring:

• Jennifer Apperti, Director, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center
• Marco Bonilla, Mayor of Chihuahua Representative
• North Dallas Chamber of Commerce

The Clements Center for Southwest Studies, the William P. Clements Department of History, and the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center presented a lecture on Race, Religion and Reproductive Politics in Mexican History.

Featured Lecturer: Elizabeth O'Brien, Assistant Professor of History, University of California LA

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center and the U.S.-Mexico Center at the Baker Institute, Rice University, hosted an event on Immigration Reform. Both organizations brought together their experts to discuss why immigration reform based on market needs is so urgent. The event featured a reception and discussion where not only data was discussed, but also the latest immigration trends.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted a lecture about Mobilizing Teachers: Teacher politics in Mexico. The lecture was based on the book publication “Mobilizing Teachers: Education Politics and the New Labor Movement in Latin America”. The political participation of public-school teachers in new democracies has generated heated debates. In some countries, teacher strikes shutter schools for months each year; in others, teachers' unions have become powerful political machines and have even formed new political parties.

Featured Lecturer: Dr. Christopher Chambers-Ju, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Texas at Arlington

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center presented a webinar on Texas-Mexico Border: Challenges and Cooperation. Our Senior Fellow, Raymond Robertson, discussed with Matthew J. Roggow, U.S. Border Patrol Acting Chief Patrol Agent for the Big Bend Sector, to find out what the current challenges are in that sector of the Texas-Mexico border and discuss the Big Bend Sector’s collaborative efforts with their Mexican counterparts.

Featuring:

• Raymond Robertson, Senior Fellow, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center
• Matthew J. Roggow, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, U.S. Border Patrol (Big Bend Sector)

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center in collaboration with the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøWilliams P. Clements Department of History presented The U.S.-Mexico bilateral relationship today: Facts and prospectives. An open conversation about the hard facts and numbers of the US-Mexico relationship, its importance for Texas and the United States, and its prospects considering the 2024 national elections in both countries.

Featured Speaker: Francisco de la Torre

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMissions Food Texas-Mexico Center presented the webinar: Mexico's Gas Market in the Spotlight. Experts Adrian Duhalt, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøTexas-Mexico Center Fellow, and Sergio Chapa, Energy Journalist and LNG Industry Analyst, explained how Mexico is the largest export market for the United States natural gas industry. Also, natural gas is the most pressing issue of Mexico's energy security. Demand has remained robust and shows no sign of slowing down in the years to come. What are the factors driving the consumption of US-produced gas south of the border?

Featured Speakers:

• Adrian Duhalt, Fellow, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center
• Sergio Chapa, Energy Journalist and LNG Industry Analyst

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted the lecture: Populism and Constitutional Rule In Contemporary México. This discussion explored the intersection of populist movements and the legal framework governing modern Mexico.

Featured Panelist: José Ramón Cossío Díaz, Social Sciences and Humanities Jurist, El Colegio Nacional. Dr. Cossío Díaz has written 31 books and more than 750 articles in collective books, academic notebooks, specialized magazines, popular magazines, and newspapers.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted the 2023 Texas-Mexico Symposium. This signature event convened elite diplomatic, economic, and trade experts to examine the critical evolution of the North American trade alliance and the strategic necessity of regional integration.

Discussions explored the long-term impact of the USMCA, the resilience of the Texas-Mexico corridor, and how "nearshoring" is redefining global supply chains. Panelists analyzed cross-border infrastructure and the policy frameworks required to maintain North America's position as a leading global economic region.

Key Panelists & Speakers:

• Everett Eissenstat: Former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs.
• Kenneth Smith Ramos: Former Chief Negotiator for Mexico for USMCA.
• Pia Orrenius: Vice President and Senior Economist, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
• Earl Anthony Wayne: Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
• Raymond Robertson: Director, Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center collaborated with the Leaders Digital Board to host this webinar. LDB is an organization of business leaders founded in Mexico that seeks to share technical knowledge to enhance strategic thinking.

The discussion highlighted the unique economic synergy between Texas and Mexico, focusing on how business leaders can leverage bilateral cooperation to drive regional growth and innovation.

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center hosted a book presentation for Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration. This powerful chronicle explores the complexities of the translation process within the American immigration system and the intersections of faith and identity.

Featuring: Author Alejandra Oliva

The 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center presented the webinar: How Texas Migration Patterns Changed During the Pandemic. This session presented research sponsored by the Center on the shifting demographics and economic factors that influenced migration flows into and out of Texas during the COVID-19 era.

Featuring:

• Pia Orrenius: Senior Fellow, Texas-Mexico Center; Vice President and Senior Economist, Dallas FED
• Madeline Zavodny: Research Fellow, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøTexas-Mexico Center; Professor of Economics at UNF

The 12th Annual Energy Law Symposium, titled "Energy Law Currents: Energy Transition Under Uncertainty," was hosted by the Texas A&M University School of Law in collaboration with the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMission Foods Texas-Mexico Center. This two-day event brought together legal scholars, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the evolving landscape of global energy infrastructure and regulation.

Key discussions focused on the legal and economic challenges of transitioning to sustainable energy sources amidst global market volatility and shifting regulatory frameworks.