President Donald Trump has promised to carry out a mass deportation effort that would remove millions of immigrants residing illegally in the United States. Will the massive scale of deportations improve the U.S. economy and deliver greater job prospects for U.S.-born workers, as Trump has claimed?

In early March, “México Centered” host Tony Payan examined the issue with Chloe East, an associate professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver, for the “Conversations on Migration” series, a monthly virtual series hosted by the Baker Institute Migration Initiative. East explained why mass deportations don’t actually help U.S.-born workers and why Trump’s proposed deportations will instead come with a significant price tag.

Learn how to attend the “Conversations on Migration” series at https://www.bakerinstitute.org/migration-initiative.

On “México Centered,” host Tony Payan continued his conversation on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in Mexico with Laura Ripani, Mexico’s country representative at the Inter-American Development Bank, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub.

They explored major questions about the future of work as AI advances: What implications does the advent of generative AI have for Mexico’s workforce and the global value chain? How can policymakers leverage AI for economic growth while confronting domestic inequality? And how can Latin America take advantages of disruptions like DeepSeek, the Chinese start-up that caused shockwaves in the industry with its low-cost AI model?

This conversation was recorded on Feb. 6, 2025. Subscribe and listen to “Judy Ley Allen México Centered” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

In February, “México Centered” host Tony Payan joined three other Baker Institute experts to explore President Donald Trump’s plans to impose tariffs on Mexican, Canadian, and Chinese goods and what they mean for U.S. industries and consumers — as well as our relationships with our largest trading partners. The conversation was moderated by John Diamond, director of the Baker Institute Center for Tax and Budget Policy.

This episode was originally recorded in front of a live studio audience on Feb. 6, 2025, for the “Baker Briefing” podcast.

Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

Mexico was once one of the biggest leaders in artificial intelligence (AI) globally, but progress has since stalled. Now, there’s renewed hope: President Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office in October 2024, has created an Agency for Digital Transformation and Telecommunications (ATDT), and the topic is also receiving attention from the Mexican Congress.

However, many questions remain. Will Mexico assign the right resources for advancement in a highly competitive field? Does it have the right team in place? Can it find and manage the right partnerships among universities, the private sector, and other actors abroad?

Claudia del Pozo, founder and director of the Eon Institute, and friend of the podcast Alejandro Dabdoub joined “México Centered” to discuss the barriers and opportunities ahead, from advancing responsible AI to the implications of the emerging technology for Mexico’s labor force.

This conversation was recorded on Feb. 6, 2025. Subscribe and listen to “Judy Ley Allen México Centered” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow @BakerInstMexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, at bakerinstitute.org/newsletters.

On Nov. 15, 2024, the Mexican government released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2025, which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The government pledged to narrow its fiscal deficit from around 6% in 2024 to around 3% in 2025, and according to the budget proposal, there will be no additional taxes, and the economy will grow between 2% and 3% next year. Within the same proposal, the government dramatically increases social spending, but cuts the budget for government goods and services, such as education, health care, and infrastructure, among other things. Is that realistic?

Here to discuss where the government plans to make cuts, whether it is realistic to expect 3% growth, what it means for investment, and more is Mariana Campos, head of the think tank “México Evalúa,” which focuses on government performance and accountability. For 10 years, she served as coordinator of México Evalúa’s Public Expenditure and Accountability Program. She also joined our Center for the U.S. and Mexico as a visiting scholar in 2022.

Follow the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico on X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky. Subscribe to the “US-Mexico Update,” delivered monthly, by opting in here.

On the campaign trail, Mexico was very much in Donald Trump’s cross-hairs. Now that he’s set to return to office, his pledges — including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a 25% tariff on Mexican goods and services, and a “war on drug cartels” — could indeed become reality.

What could these policies look like in practice, and how will they shape the future of the U.S.-Mexico relationship? How might Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, respond to this hawkish ideological shift in U.S. politics?

Here to explore what lies ahead is Christopher Landau, who served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2019 to 2021, bridging the first Trump and Biden administration and overseeing the ratification and entry into force of the USMCA, the current North American free trade agreement.

For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, and follow us on X/Twitter, LinkedIn and Bluesky. To join our mailing list, please subscribe here and make sure to opt-in to "U.S.-Mexico Update.

The Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University’s Baker Institute stays abreast of the many issues affecting the binational relationship–including some issues that are not as intuitive and are often not in the media. One of these is artificial intelligence. To explore what AI can do to the U.S.-Mexico relationship - in academia, security, cybersecurity, and labor - we sat down with Chris Bronk, a nonresident fellow at the Baker Institute and an associate professor at the University of Houston, where he directs the graduate cybersecurity program; and Alejandro Dabdoub, Mexican investor, businessman and writer.

For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, and follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn. To join our mailing list, please subscribe here and make sure to opt-in to "U.S.-Mexico Update."

Mexico’s sweeping overhaul of the country’s court system took effect last month, in the final weeks before President López Obrador handed the keys of the National Palace to his mentee and successor, President Claudia Sheinbaum. Mexico is now one of the few countries in the world that elects its judges, including at the Supreme Court level, by popular vote, rather than by appointment. This widely controversial move has led to protests by the federal judiciary, as well as criticism by the United States, Mexico’s top trading partner.

What exactly does the overhaul entail, and what’s next? Back on the podcast to discuss are Javier Martín Reyes, a researcher and professor at UNAM, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, and David Gantz, the Baker Institute’s Will Clayton Fellow in Trade and International Economics.

For more information on the Baker Institute Center for the United States and Mexico visit our website, and follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn. To join our mailing list, please subscribe here and make sure to opt-in to "U.S.-Mexico Update."