SW New Mexico News

Research conducted by Bertha A. Bermúdez Tapia, an assistant sociology professor at New Mexico State University, has been recognized with a 2024 Emerging Scholars award from the College of Health, Education and Social Transformation. Her work focuses on the lives of residents along the United States-Mexico border in Texas.

Bermúdez Tapia's research employs photography and intensive interviews to study participants in the Mexican border cities of Reynosa and Matamoros. These cities are located near McAllen and Brownsville, Texas, respectively. Her research examines how federal policies have influenced the asylum process at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The study looks into four specific policies that complicate seeking asylum in the U.S.: metering policy, Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), Title 42 Expulsions, and the CBP Mobile One App. Metering policy limits daily asylum applications from Central America and the Caribbean at U.S. entry points. MPP required individuals arriving without proper documents to return to Mexico while awaiting immigration hearings between 2019 and 2021. Title 42 Expulsions allowed for returning asylum seekers based on public health law during COVID-19. The CBP Mobile One App is used by asylum seekers to schedule appointments.

“Asylum seekers expelled to Mexico by programs like Migrant Protection Protocols, Title 42, and Customs and Border Protection appointments often live on the streets, in public plazas, migrant shelters, temporary camps or cheap hotel rooms,” Bermúdez Tapia stated.

Her research involves observing these sites to understand social interactions among asylum seekers, their survival strategies, and experiences with immigration policies amid a violent environment.

As part of her award recognition, Bermúdez Tapia collaborates with undergraduate students Hope Armijo and Marian Galaviz on a paper exploring how restrictive asylum policies affect migrants' lives. The paper highlights how women in Matamoros camps organize communal cooking systems to provide meals for their families under challenging conditions.

A native of Matamoros herself, Bermúdez Tapia was inspired by witnessing firsthand how immigration policies impact people's lives on both sides of the border. Her academic focus includes international migration, race relations, immigration policy's social dimensions, U.S.-Mexico border relations, and undocumented migration.

“Before the events of Sept. 11, 2001," she recalled "crossing the border was a routine part of life... My mom often reminisces about how she used to cross the border every day."

After September 11th attacks in 2001 led to stricter security measures making crossing more difficult.

“My research aims to uncover human stories behind these policy changes," said Bermúdez Tapia "shedding light on struggles faced by migrants particularly those from marginalized racial gender social backgrounds.”

This story originally appeared in Pinnacle magazine's fall issue published by NMSU College HEST; further details can be found online at https://pinnacle.nmsu.edu/.