Everyone's attention is on the U.S.-Mexico border with the latest seasonal "surge" of migrants, where border crossings climbed 28 percent in February. Last week, President Biden appointed Vice President Harris to oversee the stem of migration across the U.S.-Mexico border. What are sustainable policy solutions for the Biden administration along our southern border? And what are the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mounting humanitarian crisis? Join us for a discussion on the emerging migration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, featuring Essey Workie and Tom K. Wong with Melissa Floca moderating.

Featuring:

Essey Workie, Senior Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute

Essey Workie is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, where she works with its Human Services Initiative. Her work focuses on unaccompanied children, immigrant families, and access to local, state, and federal health and human service programs.

Tom K. Wong, Associate Professor, Political Science & Founding Director, U.S. Immigration Policy Center at University of California, San Diego

Tom K. Wong is an associate professor of political science and founding director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Center (USIPC) at the University of California, San Diego. He served as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) under the Obama administration where he co-led the immigration portfolio and was recently appointed by Governor Gerry Brown to serve on the State of California 2020 Census Complete Count Committee (CCC).

Moderator:

Melissa Floca, Program Officer for Cross-Border Initiatives, Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, University of San Diego

Melissa Floca is the Program Officer for Cross-Border Initiatives at the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice (Kroc IPJ). In her role, she develops and oversees the portfolio of activities focused on creating a peaceful and inclusive border region.