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Fenced Out: The Impact of Border Construction on US-Mexico Migration

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Feigenberg

Abstract

This paper estimates the impact of the US-Mexico border fence on US-Mexico migration by exploiting variation in the timing and location of US government investment in fence construction. Using Mexican survey data and data I collected on fence construction, I find that construction in a municipality reduces migration by 27 percent for municipality residents and 15 percent for residents of adjacent municipalities. In addition, construction reduces migration by up to 35 percent from non-border municipalities. I also find that construction induces migrants to substitute toward alternative crossing locations, disproportionately deters low-skilled migrants, and reduces the number of undocumented Mexicans in the United States.

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Feigenberg, 2020. "Fenced Out: The Impact of Border Construction on US-Mexico Migration," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(3), pages 106-139, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejapp:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:106-39
    DOI: 10.1257/app.20170231
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Basu, Arnab K. & Chau, Nancy H. & Park, Brian, 2022. "Rethinking border enforcement, permanent and circular migration," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Giacomo Battiston, 2022. "Rescue on Stage: Border Enforcement and Public Attention in the Mediterranean Sea," "Marco Fanno" Working Papers 0292, Dipartimento di Scienze Economiche "Marco Fanno".
    3. Diodato, Dario & Hausmann, Ricardo & Neffke, Frank, 2023. "The impact of return migration on employment and wages in Mexican cities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    4. Afiq bin Oslan, 2023. "How to Smuggle Contraband and Influence Border Policy," Working Papers tax-mpg-rps-2023-18, Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

    Lists

    This item is featured on the following reading lists, Wikipedia, or ReplicationWiki pages:
    1. Fenced Out: The Impact of Border Construction on US-Mexico Migration (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 2020) in ReplicationWiki

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