Political Science Commons^™

Systemic Racism And Covid-19: Vulnerabilities With The U.S. Social Safety Net For Immigrants And People Of Color, Adam M. Butz, Jason E. Kehrberg

Journal of Public Management & Social Policy

America has a mythologized reputation as an accommodative “melting pot” nation that welcomes individuals from all races and countries seeking improved quality of life and reduced material hardship. However, our U.S. social welfare system is more broadly characterized as underdeveloped, restrictive, and exclusionary, especially toward immigrants and people of color. Public health benefits (e.g., Medicaid), food assistance programs (e.g., SNAP), rental assistance (e.g., HCV/Section 8), and cash assistance (e.g., TANF) are oftentimes restricted for immigrants and racial minorities, making them more vulnerable to material hardship and more exposed to pandemic conditions under COVID-19. Moreover, these welfare restrictions are oftentimes rooted …

Knocking On Europe's Door: A Comprehensive Analysis Of The European Response To The 2015 Refugee Crisis And The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis, Jacob J. Mckim

Global Studies Senior Capstone

Europe is, and has long been at the center of refugee reception for many areas of the world due to its geographical position and general security. However, the European response to refugees has varied drastically in different situations. This paper examines the European response to both the 2015 Refugee Crisis and the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis. The focus being on what factors, whether political, racial, or religious, has led for some individuals to be received more favorably in Europe than others. Through examining this, the conditions for successful and long-lasting refugee reception hopefully be more clearly seen.

The Wall Between Latinas And Latinos? Gender And Immigration Enforcement Attitudes Among U.S. Latina/O Voters, Álvaro José Corral

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Donald Trump’s surprising level of support among U.S. Latina/o voters in 2016 and his improved performance in the 2020 election posed a puzzle for Latina/o politics scholars given his stridently anti-immigrant agenda. Although scholars have acknowledged the political gender gap between Latinas and Latino men, few studies have outlined the theoretical basis or explored the empirical existence of gender differences in Latina/o immigration enforcement attitudes. Building on the Latina politics literature documenting Latinas’ greater engagement in solidarity work with immigrants and their greater desire for cultural transmission and the maintenance of pan-ethnic identity, I test two hypotheses. The first (the …

A Critical Analysis Of Political And Media Discourse On Immigration During The Trump Era, Daleana Phillips

Dissertations

This research examines political and media discourse on Immigration through four studies: Trump’s immigration reform speech, newspaper coverage of DACA, a Saturday Night Live episode, and social media via #ColoradoBorderWall memes. Various critical cultural theoretical frameworks are used within critical discourse and textual analysis is to examine media and political rhetoric about immigrants and immigration policy during a period of drastic institutional political change evidenced by Trump’s administration. As a collective, these narratives examine how Trump’s rhetoric and populist style of communication demonstrate a return to restrictive immigration rhetoric not witnessed in a presidential administration since the 1920s. This research …

The Evolution Of Spanish Nationalism, Anna Sutherland

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The primary objective of this study is to discover how diversity and immigration affect Spanish nationalism and learn more about the contemporary Spanish mindset. The paper contains a literature review of researchers’ findings on the history of Spanish nationalism. In addition, data from the World Values Survey on Spain from 1996 and 2023 demonstrates a shift in societal values. Following is my hypothesis based on the research and data found. A methodology is included with information about the research process. Appendix A contains survey questions and Appendix B interview questions regarding topics including immigration, nationalism, personal identity, and values. The …

Where The Border Ends: How Reactive Policies To Terrorism Became Conduits For Drone Technology And The Enclosure Of Wealthy Nations, Arron Mitchell

PPPA Paper Prize

The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (1996) and the USA PATRIOT Act (2001) are two key examples of reactive policies enacted in response to terrorist attacks on American soil. Expedited passage of both pieces of legislation were reliant on the public’s support for government action in wake of recent atrocities. These acts gave particular attention to securing the nation’s borders, directing an increase in funding for Border Patrol in order to prevent future terrorist attacks. This essay will connect the increased funding for border security directed by Congress with the defense industry’s pursuit of funding and outlets for drone …

Interiorization And Localization: An Analysis Of Immigration Enforcement In Local Contexts, Manuel N. Leiva

Theses and Dissertations

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a federal agency that plays a large role in surveilling, apprehending, detaining, incarcerating, and deporting undocumented immigrants in the United States. Due to constraints on the number of ICE’s available personnel and resources, the agency relies on deputizing, or devolving to local law enforcement agencies the authority to enforce federal immigration policies. Prior to the 1990s, the enforcement of policies directed at controlling flows of undocumented immigrants was generally under the purview of federal law enforcement agencies and administrators, not state or local ones. The attacks on September, 11^th 2001 represented a flashpoint, …

¿Por Qué No Vale La Pena Salvarnos? Experiencias De Mujeres Inmigrantes Latinoamericanas Con Políticas De Inmigración Post-9/11 Y Solicitantes De Asilo En Los Estados Unidos, Kaye Romans

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Esta tesis aborda la Crimmigration—la convergencia de las políticas criminales y la ley de inmigración—en un mundo post-9/11 en lo que se refiere a las mujeres inmigrantes latinoamericanas que buscan asilo en los Estados Unidos. Utilizando la jurisprudencia, la legislación y la erudición legal, sitúo estas políticas en el contexto más amplio de la ley de inmigración tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, centrándome en la legislación y políticas claves posteriores al 9/11 tales como la Operation Streamline, la Operation Liberty Shield y el Title 42, así como la jurisprudencia clave posterior al 9/11 que trata con las mujeres latinoamericanas …

Why Are We Not Worth Saving? Latin American Immigrant Women's Experiences With Post-9/11 Crimmigration Policies And Asylum-Seeking In The United States, Kaye Romans

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis discusses Crimmigration—the convergence of criminal policies and immigration law—in a post-9/11 world as it relates to Latin American Immigrant women seeking asylum in the United States. Utilizing case law, legislation, and legal scholarship, I situate these policies in the broader context of immigration law both nationally and internationally, focusing on key post-9/11 legislation and policies such as Operation Streamline, Operation Liberty Shield, and Title 42, as well as key post-9/11 case law dealing with Latin American women seeking asylum in the United States. With these foundational understandings, I provide possible solutions that would lessen the harms presented to …

Connecting The Dots: Immigration Policy And Access To Higher Education For Refugees In France, Isabella Amaro Varas

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

Since 2016, the increasing number of refugees in Europe accelerated the development of national and regional policies to determine their rights and access to resources. Against this backdrop, the strong politicization of migration, and the recent financial crises, refugees' access to welfare has “become a key area of concern across European democracies” (Lafleur et al. 2020). Considering public education programs as a pillar of social policy agendas in this region, this study examines French policy in order to answer the following questions: How do French immigration and education policies converge to determine refugees’ access to higher education in France? What …

Exploring How Morality Framing And Partisanship Influence Public Perceptions Of Immigration, Gerardo Jesus Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The goal of this thesis research project is to provide a new theoretical outlook that explores and analyzes how morality framing may affect American political preferences and behavior. Partisanship and ideological preferences have long been acknowledged as significant predictors of political behavior in the American electorate. I posit the framing of the key issue of immigration through a moral prism can increase support for presidential proposals and may counteract or even overpower the effects of partisanship. When oneâ??s views on morality and partisanship are at odds with each other on a given issue, I expect respondents who self-identify as morally …

Public Opinion On Illegal Immigration In The United States: Understanding The Xenophobic Sentiments Towards Illegal Immigrants, Alexandra Martinez

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Over the past 10 years, the topic of illegal immigration has divided Americans with the past three presidencies. This paper investigates the relationship between party ID,media exposure, education and religion with the views a person has on illegal immigration. Using the Chapman Survey of American Fears, I found a moderately strong relationship between an individual's party-identification and how much fear
they show towards the topic of illegal immigration throughout the United States. I found that media exposure and a person’s political identification correlates with their views on illegal immigration. Among the interesting findings, I can conclude that individuals with more …

“The United States’ Broken Immigration Policy: The Labor Shortage And A Public Policy Solution”, Timothy P. O'Brien, Melissa Beaudoin

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The United States is a nation divided. The recent surge of illegal immigration into the United States has been the source of contention and debate among the American public. While some want to welcome all immigrants, others insist that immigrants enter the United States legally. With an emphasis placed on the accommodation and the placement of illegal immigrants, less attention has been paid to the United States’ need for immigration. This article asserts that while illegal immigration is a problem that must be addressed, more immigrants are needed. With sinking birth rates and an aging population, the United States needs …

The Role Of International Criminal Law In Protecting Human Rights From Risks Misuse Of Artificial Intelligence, Baraa Munther Kamal, Marivan Mustafa Rashid

Journal of STEPS for Humanities and Social Sciences

Minorities are an important component of the integrated international fabric of the international community as a whole, if almost no State in the world is without minorities. They constitute the harmonious balance in the territory of a single State that reflects its culture, knowledge and historical relevance. Most of the tools of industrial intelligence fall into the hands of for-profit companies or power-hungry Governments. Digital systems often lack the values and ethics to leave decision-making to the people themselves, which negatively affects minorities.

This has led many organizations, including the United Nations, to advocate positive use of AI techniques aimed …

The Effect Of Immigration On The Acquisition Of Citizenship, Mustafa Jassim Muhammad, Raad Mekdad Mahmoud

Journal of STEPS for Humanities and Social Sciences

Nationality is the basis on which to distinguish nationals from foreigners. Thus, nationality is the basis upon which individuals are protected from dangers, as well as their enjoyment of rights and privileges. In the past, nationality was considered an eternal bond between the individual and the state, but this principle has ceased to exist. The principle of the individual's ability to change his nationality and acquire the nationality of another country in order to obtain a better life than the country in which he enjoyed his original nationality appeared. Migrants in countries of destination due to strict international measures taken …

Legal Adaptation Of Illegal Immigration In Iraqi Law, Nwras Rashid Taha

Journal of STEPS for Humanities and Social Sciences

In recent years, Iraq has suffered a massive illegal migration as a result of the wars and crises it has experienced, and it is trying to identify the causes of this phenomenon, determine its legal adaptation in Iraqi law, identify the shortcomings of Iraqi legislation, and propose solutions that contribute to reducing illegal immigration.

The Invisible Propaganda: A Case Study Of The Trump Administration’S And The Media’S Messaging On Sanctuary Cities, Valeriia Popova

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

How does systemic propaganda work in contemporary American democracy? The literature suggests that propaganda in its negative meaning is limited to authoritarian regimes. In democracies, it is the corporate and partisan newsrooms that acts as propaganda mouthpieces. This dissertation challenges this status quo and shifts the focus to the interaction between contemporary democratic governments and the media. This dissertation develops a model of democratic propaganda that accounts for the two- step propaganda process in contemporary democracies: the government (responsible for the original message) and the media (responsible for the final message). The project proposes an innovative eight-fold spectrum of media …

Why Does Equality Matter Anyway? How Indifference To Inequality Relates To U.S.-Born White, Latino, And Black Americans' Attitudes Toward Immigration Policy, Trisha A. Dehrone

Masters Theses

Research on attitudes towards immigration policies typically considers the economic and cultural threats that compel many Americans to favor exclusionary policies that curb immigration. Less is understood about how indifference to inequality shapes Americans’ attitudes towards immigration policies—that is, how ‘not caring’ about the unequal conditions faced by immigrants likely has detrimental consequences for their safety and wellbeing. The present research examines indifference to inequality as a predictor for policies that impact opportunities for immigrants to come to the U.S., and who are otherwise undocumented and/or at great risk for exploitation. Using survey data from the American National Election Studies …

Forgotten Immigrant Voices: West Indian Immigrant Experiences And Attitudes Towards Contemporary Immigration, Danielle Cross

Honors Scholar Theses

Scholarly work and media coverage both point to the negative effect that the rhetoric and policy of former US President Donald Trump had on the lived experience and wellbeing of immigrant groups explicitly targeted by it (i.e., the “Trump effect”). Typically, the focus has been on Muslim and Latino immigrants as well as those less-explicitly targeted but still affected by Trump-era policies, such as temporary workers. This thesis explores whether Black immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean, a group notably missing from the literature of “Trump effects” on immigrant experiences, experienced similar attitudinal or practical effects as a result of contemporary …

Xenophobia, Majority Insecurity, And Prejudice: Exploring The Motivations Behind Anti-Immigration Sentiments, Serena Park

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

In recent years there has been increased concern and conversation regarding immigration to the United States, especially illegal immigration across the United States-Mexico border. As a result, anti-immigration sentiments have been on the rise, with fear of immigrants increasing crime, bringing disease, and decreasing employment opportunities as common justifications. Relying on the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national sample of adults and their fears in the United States, this paper studies what exactly drives this fear of immigrants and immigration—whether it’s fear of illegal immigration, white people no longer being the majority, increased crime rates, economic concerns, other …

Ending The False Perception Decoding The Characteristics Of Americans Who Fear Immigrants’ Impact On The Economy By Kate Riccardelli, Kate Riccardelli

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Understanding which characteristics impact Americans' position and fears towards immigrants will generate an understanding of what drives and unleashes fear-driven behavior on immigrant populations. One particular area of public perception towards immigrants that gets a high degree of political debate is immigrants' impact on the economy. This paper will evaluate the relationship between a person's social-economic status, age, and education level towards the perception that immigrants are negatively impacting and draining the American economy. The link between a fear of immigrants and the stated characteristics will be evaluated through the Chapman Survey of American Fears, a representative national survey of …

The Political Economy Of Border Wall Construction, Molly Rovinski

Undergraduate Theses

During the 2016 presidential election, the construction of a border wall along the United States – Mexico border came to the forefront of the political sphere in America. Since then, state governments along the border have continued the call for increased border security through increased fencing. However, the ideation of a border wall was not a new one for American border security, with most of the wall having been constructed following the Secure Fence Act of 2006. The purpose of this paper is to explore the political economy of wall construction along the border. The argument is made that the …

Muslim Immigration To Connecticut: An Analysis Of Muslim Communities' Role In Immigrant Incorporation, Hannah M. Lynch

Senior Theses and Projects

This research investigates the relationship between Muslim religious identity and immigrant incorporation outcomes in the United States. There is much existing literature discussing the outcomes of different immigrant groups to the United States, but Muslim immigrants have been largely left out of the discussion. Through interviewing Muslim immigrant residents of Connecticut, I discovered a two-fold relationship between Muslim identity and immigrant outcomes. On one hand, Muslim immigrants were able to incorporate more successfully through their Muslim religious community, such as their mosque. On the other hand, Muslim immigrants faced more difficult incorporating because of negative attitudes towards Muslim immigrants from …

Migratory Stories: Building Ethical Immigration Policy, Lucca D. Abele

Honors Papers

Yorki J. Encalada Egúsquiza, an academic who studies border issues, discusses the reality that Child Migrants (CM) face, “They are minors traveling alone, then they have to appear in immigration courts, regardless of age. We're talking about children, in some cases, toddlers, without lawyers, who have to face a court that wants to deport them.” United States immigration policy fails to aid CMs who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border; in a practice of exclusionary policy, it further traumatizes children who have journeyed to the U.S. alone. Using interviews I have conducted, memoirs, political theory, and scholarly literature, my research scrutinizes …

Nation And Identity: Far Right-Wing Parties' Depiction Of National Identity And Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric, Kerstin Carroll

Honors Program Theses

This thesis analyzes national identity maintenance by looking at the communications of three far right political parties in Europe. These parties are Alternativ Für Deutschland, the National Rally party, and the United Kingdom Independence Party. The results of this thesis have highlighted that these parties are concerned about maintaining the national identity of their countries and the worry that immigration coming into the nation will change the national identity. AfD, the National Rally party and UKIP all have different approaches to national identity; AfD is focused upon the family rhetoric and maintaining the family rhetoric to protect the national identity. …

Voting Trends In Immigrant Women To The United States, Enia Levis

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The aim of this paper is to explore and explain the relationship between various cultural and societal factors on how immigrant women to the U.S. vote. There is a growing amount of research on the voting habits of both women, and immigrants. This paper seeks to understand the voting habits of individuals who identify with both categories. This thesis utilizes public opinion data from the 2018 General Social Survey to discover if there is a relationship between country of origin in addition to gender, and if the respondent voted for Trump or Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. My theory …

Assessing Deportations: The Factors That Influence U.S. Deportations And Their Public Perceptions, Madelynn Einhorn

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Deportations are an understudied component of U.S. deportation policy. While a range of literature focuses on the factors that influence immigration inflows and public perceptions of immigrants, relatively few have studied deportations. I studied deportations by conducting time-series analysis of yearly deportations and by analyzing three original public opinion surveys on perceptions of deportations. In my time-series chapter, I used regression analysis to find that the party composition of the U.S. House and Senate, the unemployment rate, and the incarceration rate influence deportations. In my public opinion chapter, I find that a plurality of American’s support deportations, particularly when they …

Abstract Immigration Policies Of The Obama And Trump Administrations Focused On Alien Arrests, Levino Lorenzo Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractImmigration policy has been a growing concern for the United States, but it was unknown what differences had been experienced between President Trump and President Obama’s implemented immigration policies. Therefore, the purpose of this quantitative descriptive study was to determine if any statistically significant differences existed between the number of “criminal aliens” arrested for removal versus non-criminal aliens arrested with victimless crimes during the Obama and Trump administration. This cross-sectional study was guided by punctuated equilibrium theory and data were gathered by available public, archival data. The total number of documented/undocumented non-criminal alien arrests during the Obama Administration from January …

White Supremacy, Police Brutality, And Family Separation: Preventing Crimes Against Humanity Within The United States, Elena Baylis

Articles

Although the United States tends to treat crimes against humanity as a danger that exists only in authoritarian or war-torn states, in fact, there is a real risk of crimes against humanity occurring within the United States, as illustrated by events such as systemic police brutality against Black Americans, the federal government’s family separation policy that took thousands of immigrant children from their parents at the southern border, and the dramatic escalation of White supremacist and extremist violence culminating in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In spite of this risk, the United States does not have …

Qu’Est Qu’Un Vrai Français : Le Front National Et Le Développement Contemporain Des Politiques De La ‘Francité’, Sara Butcher

Scripps Senior Theses

Le Rassemblement National, avant connu comme le Front National, est devenu un des partis politiques les plus importants dans la politique française, avec son leader, Marine Le Pen, comme une figure influente. Les tactiques politiques de l’extrême droite perpétuées par le Front National, sont notamment les peurs créées sur la laïcité, la migration et ‘l’islamisation’ de la société française, ont commencé à être des politiques communes utilisées par plusieurs côtés de l’échiquier politique. En voyant l’évolution historique et contemporaine des politiques françaises et la popularité du Front National, on peut trouver la raison pour laquelle des sujets comme la ‘francité’ …