Research question & overview
The manuscript begins with a retrospective account of conversations in border detention in September 2021. Recollections motivate the research question and are not presented as verified histories of other people.
The author then relates these observations to migration research and administrative data. The work does not estimate the prevalence of valid or fabricated protection claims.
Russian and English PDF versions of the September 2026 preprint are available here. A separate public SSRN record for this work is not listed in this catalogue.
Read the work
Bibliographic reference
Igor Leonov. (2026). Inside Border Detention: Observing Migration Motives at the U.S.–Mexico Border. Preprint.
Amerpass