The Impossibility of Democracy at the U.S.-Mexico Border

As border violence continues to become normalized through policies and on-the-ground border policing, states implemented multiple institutional and legal barriers to hold border and immigration enforcement agencies accountable for rights violations, including retaliatory punishment against advocates aiding asylum seekers and populations who cross borders. This reality demonstrates the limits of democracy where a "state of exception" becomes the norm, leading to informal practices to hold authorities accountable for abuse and criminalization. This seminar will explore how legal exception at the United States-Mexico border impact transborder commuters, asylum seekers, and advocates alike. Dr. Castañeda Perez will present her research on transborder commuters' reluctance to complain after enduring abuse from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. She will highlight findings from her research and contextualize them with the constraints and experiences of migrants, humanitarian workers, and legal professionals. Meanwhile, At Otro Lado attorney, Erika Pinheiro, Esq., will concentrate on the plight of unaccompanied asylum seekers facing abuse in border custody, the role of humanitarian aid at the border, and a comparative analysis of processes in the United States and the European Union.

Speakers

Dr. Estefanía Castañeda Pérez

Postdoctoral fellow, Penn Migration Initiative

Estefania Castañeda Pérez's research focuses on race and ethnicity, surveillance, conceptualizations and consequences of state violence, and border politics. Her dissertation examined the normalization of violence at the U.S.-Mexico border and its impact on the livelihoods of transborder commuters from Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, and Nogales. Her research was supported by the APSA Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant, the National Science Foundation and the Ford Foundation. Castañeda Pérez has a Ph.D. in Political Science from UCLA, a Master’s degree in Political Science from UCLA, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an honors minor in interdisciplinary studies from San Diego State University.

Erika Pinheiro

Executive Director of Al Otro Lado. Border, immigration and refugee policy expert

As Litigation and Policy Director of the direct legal services non-profit Al Otro Lado, Erika Pinheiro leads her organization's efforts in filing class action lawsuits challenging the Trump administration's attacks on the US asylum system, as well as slave labor practices and severe medical neglect in immigration detention facilities. Before joining Al Otro Lado, Pinheiro administered one of the largest DACA programs in California, as well as representation programs for Unaccompanied Children. She also oversaw high-volume Legal Orientation Programs for adults and children detained in immigration prisons. Pinheiro holds both a JD and MPP from Georgetown University and is trained in econometric analysis of immigration policy.

Moderator

Stephanie Rivera-Kumar

Doctoral student of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania

Stephanie Rivera-Kumar is a doctoral student in City and Regional Planning at the University of Pennsylvania Weitzman School of Design. Stephanie’s research focuses on the migration of Latinx immigrants from the Global South to the U.S., and how Latinx immigrants are creating positive economic, cultural, political, and social impacts in U.S. cities. Prior to her doctoral studies, Stephanie worked for more than 10 years as a nonprofit professional, and social impact strategist. She has experience developing and implementing initiatives to promote the improved quality of life for diverse populations, and has a consistent record of nonprofit capacity building through community innovations, social impact, and public service. Stephanie holds a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy and Practice, and Master of Public Administration in International Administration and Development from the University of Texas at Arlington College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs. In May 2019, Stephanie was the recipient of the University of Pennsylvania's Excellence in Social Impact Award.

The “Conversations on Informality” Seminar Series of the Penn IUR Forum on Urban Informality bring together leading scholars and practitioners for an exchange across academic disciplines and in policy.