FMURF Project Overview:

Project Overview: 

Mexican Americans and the Impact of the 100-mile Border Enforcement Zone in South Texas examines the ethno-racial inequality and the lived consequences of immigration enforcement on border communities. Over recent decades, the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) has witnessed the widespread militarization of the border which carries significant consequences for all who reside in the region. In the current political climate, immigration enforcement practices have intensified in ways that affect not only undocumented immigrants but also documented immigrants and U.S. citizens. This study is not only significant but timely given recent immigration enforcement operations, which include raids that target individuals based on phenotype, language, and perceived identity. These practices which have heightened the vulnerability of Mexican Americans in border communities demonstrate that U.S. citizenship does not fully shield individuals from racialization and scrutiny in borderland regions. Mexican Americans in South Texas navigate daily life under surveillance regimes ostensibly designed to target undocumented immigrants, yet their impacts extend far more broadly. Centering the voices and experiences of Mexican American residents, this study reveals how border militarization shapes the lived realities of U.S. citizens in border communities.

Data collection for this qualitative study commenced in Spring 2025, with the goal of conducting between 100 and 150 in-depth interviews with Mexican American residents in South Texas. To date, 40 interviews have been completed, representing meaningful early progress toward this target. These interviews have already begun to yield rich, nuanced accounts of how heightened border enforcement shapes the daily lives and mobility of Mexican American residents in the RGV. This case study of the South Texas borderlands can offer valuable insights as similar dynamics begin to emerge in other regions of the country impacting vulnerable populations.