Fear and the Safety Net: Evidence from Secure Communities
49 Pages Posted: 1 May 2018 Last revised: 11 Mar 2019
There are 2 versions of this paper
Fear and the Safety Net: Evidence from Secure Communities
Fear and the Safety Net: Evidence from Secure Communities
Date Written: March 9, 2019
Abstract
This paper studies how changes in deportation fear induced by the roll-out of Secure Communities (SC), a far-reaching immigration enforcement program, affected the demand for safety net programs in the United States. We estimate the spillover effect of SC on the take-up of federal means-tested programs by Hispanic citizens, who are not themselves eligible for removal. We find significant declines in SNAP and SSI enrollment, particularly among mixed-citizenship status households. The response is muted for Hispanic households residing in sanctuary cities. Our results are most consistent with network effects that perpetuate fear rather than lack of benefit information or stigma.
Keywords: Fear, Safety Net, Immigration Enforcement
JEL Classification: I14, I3, K00
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
Here is the Coronavirus
related research on SSRN
