Research
Research
Publications
Smith, Dana J. “Climate Change, Violence, and Remittance Flows in Mexico.” International Migration Review (2025) https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183251392493
This paper studies how domestic and international remittances respond to weather shocks in Mexico and whether local violence affects the use of remittances as insurance. I use a novel combination of state-level, administrative, survey, and remotely sensed panel data to investigate these questions. Estimating a gravity model that accounts for network characteristics and potential spatial dependence, I find that remittances are selective, responding positively to drought but negatively to violence. The negative impact of violence is even larger in areas experiencing drought, suggesting that households facing violence are especially vulnerable to weather shocks as they are less able to cope using remittances. I further unpack the costs of both drought and violence by studying spillovers from neighboring states. I find that the degree of violence in neighboring states magnifies the main impact, motivating regional policy approaches.
Smith, Dana J. “What Drives Undocumented Immigration? Policy, economic, and social factors in the US and Mexico.” Eastern Economic Journal (2025) https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-025-00313-9
The discourse on undocumented immigration to the United States often centers on place-based policies, such as those that create “sanctuary” on the one hand, or that promote “self-deportation” on the other. How much do these policies actually affect migration patterns? This paper uses administrative data on likely undocumented Mexican immigrants to estimate the impact of state-level immigration policy on location decisions and compare this to the role of labor market characteristics and violence. Using a fixed effects model that accounts for Mexican state to US state networks, I do not find evidence that state-level policy drives immigration patterns and instead labor market conditions and violent crime explain Mexican migration across US states.
Smith, Dana J., Jennifer Ifft and Ejin Kim “Minimum wage increases and agricultural employment of locals and guest workers.” Journal of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. 1 no. 3 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1002/jaa2.27 (Open Access)
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Working Papers
Christian, Paul, Brian Dillon, Erin Lentz, Hope Michelson, Dana J. Smith, and Joanna Upton. “Sentinels and Satellites: Food Security Monitoring from Near and Far.” Revise and Resubmit at Food Policy
Selected Works in Progress
Esprabens, Luc, Anthony Ponce, and Dana J. Smith. “Converging Crises: Understanding the Impact of Climate Change and Violence on Migration in Mexico”
Smith, Dana J. “American Immigration Policy and Violence Against Women in Mexico”
Smith, Dana J., Joanna B. Upton and Farnaz Safari. “Shifting Winds: Shocks and the Self-Selection of Seasonal Migrants Across Sub-Saharan Africa”