From critical theory to the field, and back: migration law as told by people in transit in Mexico City
Abstract
In Mexico, many people from Central and South America have temporarily or permanently halted their migration journey. Most of the individuals interviewed during field research in 2025 are in an irregular immigration status or awaiting a decision regarding their status in Mexico. While some have decided to initiate regularization procedures by applying for asylum, others have adopted a wait-and-see approach. The most determined persist in crossing the border into the United States, despite exposure to organized crime and the risk of detention and deportation. In this presentation, I will first outline the process that led to the development of a decolonial theoretical framework for addressing this issue from a legal perspective. I will then elaborate on the ways in which this framework has informed my ethnographic approach. Finally, I will present some preliminary research findings and avenues for reflection to explore how the immigration law as narrated by the people I met in Mexico City can, in turn, inform theory.
Speaker
Noémie Boivin, Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Law, Université de Sherbrooke; Coordinator, Laboratory for Critical Legal Research; and Research Associate, Research Chair on the Protection of Migrants and International Law.
(Only available in french)
