Overview
My research lies at the intersection of political sociology, international migration, and public administration. I use comparative-historical and archival methods to investigate how bureaucratic decision-making and organizational politics shape state power, the regulation of migration, and public policy in Canada and the United States. Across my projects, I focus on how public officials and institutions attempt to navigate dilemmas of governance, reflecting a core interest in how state and bureaucratic power affects social life.
My work has appeared in outlets such as the International Migration Review and the Journal of International Migration and Integration.
Selected Publications:
Ly, Nathan T.B. 2025. “Theorizing Legitimacy in Migration Research.” International Migration Review. Advance Online Publication. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01979183251325177
Ly, Nathan T.B. and Monica Boyd. 2025. “A Regime Approach to Refugee Comparisons: Canada’s Responses to Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.” Journal of International Migration and Integration 26(3):1833-1855. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-025-01249-x
Boyd, Monica and Nathan T.B. Ly. 2021. “Unwanted and Uninvited: Canadian Exceptionalism in Migration and the 2017–2020 Irregular Border Crossings.” American Review of Canadian Studies 51(1):95-121. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02722011.2021.1899743