Brookings Mountain West and UNLV will join a number of sites across the U.S. to host a conversation on critical election topics as part of The Brookings Institution’s Election ’24: Issues at Stake series.

The event, “US-Mexico Relations: Addressing Challenges at the Border,” will take place Aug. 27 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the first floor auditorium inside UNLV's Greenspun Hall. The event is free and open to the public. RSVP requested..

Brookings Mountain West is the UNLV-based branch of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

About the Election Issues Lecture

Election ’24: Issues at Stake aims to bring national attention to consequential policy issues confronting voters and policymakers this election cycle. The Aug. 27 event relates to national security and America’s role in the world, one of the six themes explored in this initiative.

In October 2024, Mexico’s president-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will begin her six-year term. During that time, the U.S. presidential campaign will be entering its final stretch. How will the next U.S. administration and Congress manage relations with new leadership in Mexico? What tools can both countries use to advance positive outcomes? What are the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the United States and Mexico?

These are some of the questions Vanda Felbab-Brown Brookings, senior fellow in foreign policy in the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, and UNLV faculty will answer.

"The U.S.-Mexico relationship is one of the most important international relationships for each country, yet despite very many issues at stake, the relationship has been unproductively skewed toward predominantly dealing with migration,” said Felbab-Brown. “Whether the relationship starts more intensively and honestly grappling with the other issues at stake will be a hallmark of the new government administrations in the United States and in Mexico."

Felbab-Brown will be joined by UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law professor and director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic, Michael Kagan; executive associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of political science John Tuman; and political science assistant professor Rachel Torres.

The event will feature a timely discussion on issues of border security, immigration policies, trade and energy relations, and counter-narcotics and anti-crime cooperation.

Amber Dixon of Nevada Week will moderate the event and discussion with the four panelists.

Attendees are encouraged to submit their questions for the experts via email to events@brookings.edu and via X to @BrookingsFP using #USMexico.