Undergraduate students from universities across the United States participated in a summer research program focused on immigration policy at the U.S.-Mexico border, organized by New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF REU) program, led by NMSU professor Neil Harvey, brought together eleven students for nine weeks to study migration issues firsthand.
“For undergraduates, it’s sometimes difficult to get an interesting research project that’s paid and has this experience of going somewhere else on a topic that they’re passionate about, so this REU is really a great thing,” said Harvey, who serves as principal investigator for the NSF REU.
Students traveled between Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juárez. They visited migrant shelters, collaborated with faculty and students at El Colegio de Chihuahua, worked with community partner organizations, and conducted research projects. The program emphasized community-based participatory research methods. This approach involves working directly with local organizations to identify community needs before defining research questions.
Ruben Morales, an NMSU junior double majoring in justice, political philosophy and law along with sociology, described his experience as valuable both academically and personally. Morales said he was able to view migrant shelters both as a researcher and through his own family’s experiences with migration.
“Seeing it firsthand opened my eyes to a lot more of what it means to be a migrant,” Morales said. “Being there brought me back into my cultural identity and understanding more of myself and the people I had the opportunity to connect with.”
Harvey noted that since 2018, 61 students have taken part in the program: “There are a lot of debates about migration and border issues. Here, you have 61 students since 2018 who have come through Las Cruces, El Paso and Juárez and have seen firsthand what’s going on and have done good work.”
According to Harvey, many participants go on to write honors theses or present their work at conferences. Some pursue graduate studies after completing the program. “That’s really what the program’s designed to do; to give people the motivation, experience and skills to do well in grad school,” he said.
Students faced challenges during their research due to shifting immigration policies on both sides of the border as well as uncertain funding for nonprofits involved in supporting migrants. Harvey explained: “If they go on to research in a professional capacity, that’s a skill that they will be glad of. They’ll recognize it in the field because it happens a lot.”
Morales credited his participation for improving his writing skills and ability to analyze data: “Throughout the project I’ve definitely grown in my understanding of my writing and my ability to conceptualize a lot of data,” he said. He added that being involved directly with communities encouraged him toward future ethnographic research: “Really being within the community has made me want to continue doing ethnographic research in general,” Morales said. “I want to make sure that what I’m learning I’m also giving back.”
