Conducting Research with Migrant Children Impacted by Humanitarian Violence at the U.S.–Mexico Border

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article reflects on the implications of conducting research in, with, and through border institutions tasked with the care of migrant populations, while simultaneously upholding the violent border regime that prioritizes security and migration restriction. We draw from our individual and collective experiences in these spaces of “conflicted care,” where “humanitarian violence,” including dehumanization and harmful rights violations, is normalized. Focusing on the Mexican State Institutions and Programs (MSIP) responsible for unaccompanied migrant children, and shaped by U.S. externalized border policies, we explore the methodological and ethical complexities of working with these vulnerable populations while in their custody. We reflect on the politics, dilemmas, and ethics involved in navigating state strategies to restrict researcher access such as “soft gatekeeping,” selective modulation, ambiguity, and control. The article concludes with potential strategies for change, informed by our engagements with various state and non-governmental organizations across the Mexico—U.S. border and Latin America. Keywords: border, child migration, fieldwork, humanitarian violence, Mexico.