Jason De León

Jason De León is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles and Executive Director of the Undocumented Migration Project (UMP), a long-term anthropological study examining clandestine migration between Latin America and the United States through ethnographic, visual, archaeological, and forensic methodologies to document systemic violence against migrants.

His research critically investigates migration as a violent social process, focusing on border enforcement policies, migrant experiences, and forensic humanitarianism. De León employs interdisciplinary approaches blending anthropology with archaeology and human rights advocacy to expose the physical and structural consequences of migration corridors, with his work featured extensively in global media outlets.

He received the Weissberg Chair residency at Beloit College for 2021-2022 and authored the acclaimed book "The Land of Open Graves: Living and Dying on the Migrant Trail" (photographs by Michael Wells), which synthesizes UMP findings into a powerful critique of border militarization.

De León serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Colibrí Center for Human Rights—dedicated to identifying missing migrants—and sits on the Academic Board of the Institute for Field Research, overseeing 42 field schools across 25 countries to advance anthropological training globally.