About the Association

The U.S.–Mexico Border Mayors Association is dedicated to making the united voice of our border communities heard in state and national capitals and to improving the lives of more than 14 million residents who make our region a globally competitive economic engine for North America.

In 2011, at the urging of then Commissioner Alan Bersin of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, mayors across the binational region came together in El Paso, Texas for a meeting where they formed the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association. The goal was to create a strong advocacy voice for their metropolitan areas and residents.

2025: Reactivating the Border Mayors Association

Border mayors from Mexico and the U.S. gathered on Oct. 6, 2025, for “Binational Voices: A Mayors’ Dialogue on the Future of the Border,” reactivating the Border Mayors Association for the first time since 2020.

The convening was organized in collaboration with the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies (USMEX) at the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, Holland & Knight Mexico’s Government Affairs practice and Localism, Inc. from San Antonio, Texas. The event took place in Mexico City and marked a renewed commitment to cross-border collaboration among municipalities, counties, chambers of commerce and universities.

Mayors and local leaders discussed key priorities facing border communities, including:

• Modernization of ports of entry
• The upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
• Cross-border environmental challenges
• The need for a unified strategy for local governments along the border

Among the key outcomes was an agreement to develop a joint border community statement on the USMCA review to be presented to U.S. and Mexican authorities. Participants also committed to forming binational working groups focused on infrastructure, agricultural trade, and the environment.

Additional meetings and activities will be scheduled in the coming months to continue building this network of border leadership and deepen cooperation among local governments on both sides of the border. These events will be shared on this webpage and on our Events Calendar.

Our History and Mission

The mayors of the association recognize that policy decisions made in distant capitals are often made without appreciation of the unique perspective of this globally competitive region, and the needs and concerns of our intertwined communities.

The substantial increase in trade that has occurred since the implementation of NAFTA in 1994 benefits the economies of both nations with specific impacts on our border communities who host the Land Ports of Entry through which nearly all these goods flow.

The value of goods traded between our two nations is now more than $500 billion each year. Increasingly border community businesses are engaged in co-production of products exported from our local cross-border economic regions to distant parts of North America as well as to Asian and European Markets.

Often times, national policies are formulated without a true understanding of how they will impact not only border communities but the economy of the entire country. Our border communities are compelled by geography to address many local urban issues like:

• Air and water quality
• Solid waste and hazardous waste disposal
• Energy production and distribution
• Emergency services
• Public health concerns

Unlike other local jurisdictions, in border communities these issues often cannot be effectively addressed without binational planning and co-operation, often requiring the involvement of federal government agencies and subject to international agreements and policies over which we have no direct jurisdiction.

The U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association is dedicated to making the united voice of our communities heard in state and national capitals and to improving the lives of the more than 14 million residents who make our region a globally competitive economic engine for North America.

Past Summits

Our summits also serve as a forum for us to learn from each other, sharing best practices and practical solutions to shared urban concerns.