Ambivalent Enforcement: The Role of Local Police in Immigration Control

• In Event: Police, Borders, and Immigrants

Abstract

This paper explores an emerging trend in U.S. immigration policy: the devolution of federal immigration enforcement to the state and local level. This has resulted in inconsistent and divergent immigration policies in counties and cities across the country, ranging from enforcement-oriented to immigrant-supportive communities. Through a case study of one city that falls on the immigrant-supportive side of the spectrum, this research offers insight into how police officers are experiencing these policies on the ground. In-depth interviews and field observations reveal that officers are ambivalent about the effect of the city’s hands-off immigration ordinance; there were mixed opinions about whether the statutes towards noncitizens improved or reduced public safety. Findings contribute to the literature on immigration in sociology and criminology and offer evidence-based insights for reforming immigration policy.

Author

• Molly George, California Lutheran University