Vicente Mata’s research examines how broader geopolitical trends in which humanitarianism is co-opted by state and political interests, has historically and contemporarily, shaped political discourse on immigration and restrictive anti-immigrant policies at the U.S.-Mexico border. His dissertation, “Assailing Asylum: The Political Manufacturing of an Asylum Crisis in the United States,” examines how the asylum grant rate has changed since the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, by asylum claims, between countries, and across presidential administrations. 

Mata’s research calls attention to how erroneous immigration and asylum statistics have been used to facilitate patterns of structural and racial violence that have normalized the legalized exclusion and disparate treatment of marginalized migrant groups. His work bridges demographic, socio-legal, immigration, and public policy scholarship, offering recommendations for more transparent asylum adjudication, data practices, and pathways to citizenship.