The latest Conversations in Public Policy talk, on Thursday evening, is Home to Rest: Research Perspectives on the Border Humanitarian Crisis
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION, TX – The public is invited to a free discussion of one of the most pressing humanitarian issues along the United State-Mexico border: What happens to the remains of people who perish?
Home to Rest: Research Perspectives on the Border Humanitarian Crisis will feature speakers discussing how the bodies of migrants are identified and repatriated, and the challenges of humanitarian work on the border. The event is at 5 p.m. on April 17 at the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, Room 1011C, 1002 George Bush Drive West. It will be hosted by the Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. The event is part of the Mosbacher Institute’s Conversations in Public Policy series.
To RSVP, please go to: https://tamu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5aMoh4F4n8EKfie
The evening will begin with a screening of a short film documenting the realities of migrant deaths and recovery efforts in South Texas. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring a blend of academic researchers and field practitioners who work directly on the front lines of this issue. In 2022 alone, the U.S. Border Patrol reported 895 migrant deaths at the border.
Panelists:
Dan DeBree (Moderator) – Associate Professor of the Practice, Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University
Victoria Soto, MA – Doctoral Research Assistant, Operation Identification
Emma Newman, MA – Doctoral Candidate, Crossing Latinidades Fellow, and Remote Wildlands Search and Recovery volunteer, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University
Deputy Don White – Brooks County Sheriff’s Deputy and Lead Volunteer, Remote Wildlands Search and Recovery
The panelists will provide insights into the identification and repatriation process of migrant remains, the partnerships between law enforcement and academic researchers, and the policy implications surrounding humanitarian work at the border. The event will also spotlight the critical contributions of Remote Wildlands Search and Recovery of South Texas, a non-profit organization committed to recovering and returning the remains of missing migrants.
