The Unintended Consequences of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policies

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, volume 118 (2021)

USC CLASS Research Paper No. CLASS21-26

USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 21-26

29 Pages Posted: 18 May 2021 Last revised: 15 Jun 2021

Date Written: June 14, 2021

Abstract

U.S. immigration enforcement policy seeks to change the behaviors and views of not only individuals in the United States but also those of prospective migrants outside the United States. Yet we still know relatively little about the behavioral and attitudinal effects of U.S. enforcement policy on the population abroad. This study uses a randomized experiment embedded in a nationally representative survey that was administered in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico to analyze the effects of U.S. deterrence policies on individuals’ migration intentions and their attitudes toward the U.S. immigration system. The two policies that the current study examines are immigration detention and nonjudicial removals. The survey results provide no evidence that a heightened awareness of these U.S. immigration enforcement policies affects individuals’ intentions to migrate to the United States. But heightened awareness about the widespread use of immigration detention in the United States does negatively impact individuals’ assessments about the procedural and outcome fairness of the U.S. immigration system. These findings suggest that immigration detention may foster delegitimating beliefs about the U.S. legal system without producing the intended deterrent effect.

Keywords: immigration enforcement, detention, deportation, deterrence, legal socialization

Suggested Citation

Ryo, Emily, The Unintended Consequences of U.S. Immigration Enforcement Policies (June 14, 2021). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, volume 118 (2021), USC CLASS Research Paper No. CLASS21-26, USC Law Legal Studies Paper No. 21-26, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3847399

Emily Ryo (Contact Author)

Duke Law School ( email )

210 Science Drive
Durham, NC 27708
United States
6502483855 (Phone)

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