Abigail L. Andrews

Abigail L. Andrews is a Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of California-San Diego (UCSD). She serves as Director of the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies and the Mexican Migration Field Research Program, and is affiliated with the Sociology department. Her work focuses on state violence, gender dynamics, and grassroots advocacy among migrants from Mexico and Central America, with particular attention to climate and refugee crises. She leads over a dozen community-action research projects, including collaborations with organizations like Comite Cívico del Valle and Al Otro Lado to address labor rights, asylum seeker challenges, and anti-Black racism in Mexico's border regions.

Her research integrates feminist and decolonial frameworks, examining how states reinforce power inequalities through gendered policies. She co-authored *The Social Life of Gender* (2017) and has published widely on migrant displacement and incarceration. Andrews is also a recognized teacher, involving students directly in trauma-informed, applied research to advance migrant justice.

Key projects include the four-year 'Reimagining Refuge: California for Just Migrant Futures' initiative (2023–present) and a 2021–2023 project documenting Mexican state violence against asylum seekers. Her work emphasizes community-driven solutions and amplifies marginalized voices, including over 30 Latinx students who contributed to her 2023 book *Banished Men*.