Immigration Law Commons^™

Immigration Policing And Federalism Through The Lens Of Technology, Surveillance, And Privacy, Anil Kalhan

Anil Kalhan

With the deployment of technology, federal programs to enlist state and local police assistance with immigration enforcement are undergoing a sea change. For example, even as it forcefully has urged invalidation of Arizona’s S.B. 1070 and similar state laws, the Obama administration has presided over the largest expansion of state and local immigration policing in U.S. history with its implementation of the “Secure Communities” program, which integrates immigration and criminal history database systems in order to automatically ascertain the immigration status of every individual who is arrested and booked by state and local police nationwide. By 2012, over one fifth …

Living Among Guatemalan Mayans Is Fascinating Experience, Irene Scharf

Irene Scharf

I have just lived a dream. Five years ago I learned of a school where students of all ages could study Spanish intensively while living among the Guatemalan Mayans. Peace Accords had been signed in 1996, the government was encouraging tourism, and it was, finally, safe to visit.

Why a dream? Because, 25 years ago, when I traveled through Central and South America, I promised my family I would avoid Guatemala because of the perceived was dangers. During that trip, as I met my Europeans and other who had visited, remained safe, and found it a fascinating country, I vowed …

Umass Boston – Brazilian Immigrant Center Partnership, Tim Sieber, C. Eduardo Siqueira, Natalicia Tracy

Timothy Sieber

The Brazilian Immigrant Center (BIC) does organizing, advocacy and training to reduce marginalization of Brazilian immigrants, promoting their engagement as workers & civic participants. A worker’s center, BIC supports and defends workers’ rights under current state & US labor laws. BIC helps workers mediate complaints with employers, and refers others for class action suits, or intervention by the Mass. Attorney General or US Dept. of Labor. A special focus at present is organizing mostly women domestic workers, and BIC has a new Law and Policy Clinic, a Domestic Worker Mediation Program, and an Immigration Justice Project staffed by two full-time …

Wrongs Against Immigrants' Rights: Why Terminating The Parental Rights Of Deported Immigrants Raises Constitutional And Human Rights Concerns, Rachel C. Zoghlin

Rachel Claire Zoghlin

Since President Barack Obama first took office in January 2009, his administration has made immigration enforcement a top priority. In 2012, the U.S. government spent more money to deport immigrants – $18 billion – than on the FBI, Secret Service, DEA, U.S. Marshal Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms combined. Since January 2009, the Obama administration has removed over 2.2 million immigrants. Of the over 211,000 individuals deported between January and June of 2011, nearly 22% (over 46,000) are parents of U.S.-citizen children. One collateral consequence of these deportations is that over 5,100 children have been placed …

Undocumented Student Success: Navigating Restraints Related To Retention, Ronald Hallett

Ronald Hallett

Undocumented college students face multiple barriers. This case study explores how a group of undocumented Latino/a students maintained a peer network. Using Stanton-Salazar's frameworks of empowerment agents, I discuss how students created a space on campus and navigated internal tensions threatening solidarity, including inclusion/exclusion, competition/support, and personal support/political engagement.

Deciding To Cross: The Norms And Economics Of Unauthorized Migration, Emily Ryo

Emily Ryo

Why are there so many unauthorized migrants in the United States? Using unique survey data collected in Mexico through the Mexican Migration Project, I develop and test a new decisionmaking model of unauthorized labor migration. The new model considers the economic motivations of prospective migrants, as well as their beliefs, attitudes, and social norms regarding U.S. immigration law and legal authorities. My findings show that perceptions of certainty of apprehension and severity of punishment are not significant determinants of the intent to migrate illegally; however, perceptions of availability of Mexican jobs and the dangers of border crossing are significant determinants …