Immigration Policy and Marital Stratification: Undocumented Immigrants and the Timing of Mixed Status Marriage

• In Event: Open Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 11: Immigration, Legal Status, and Incorporation

Abstract

This working paper examines how citizenship status and immigration policy shape marriage decisions among undocumented Mexican and Central American immigrants. Using 2005–2019 American Community Survey (ACS) data and a residual method to identify highly likely undocumented populations, this study employs survey-weighted logistic regressions as well as demographic analysis to evaluate the role of mixed-status marriage as a response to "legal violence" and deportation risk. Early analysis suggests that undocumented men are more likely than undocumented women to marry U.S.- born citizens. This paper is an empirical approach to gendered perceptions of “legalization” through marriage. Existing literature suggests that while men may be more open to marriage as a strategic avenue for mitigating deportation risk and increasing economic stability, women may resist such unions due to gendered concerns regarding dependency and power imbalances in mixed-status relationships.

Author

• Ulises Flores Mendoza, University of Southern California