Confidence, Trust, and Immigration: How Do Immigrants Perceive Their Local Police Departments?

• In Event: Immigration and Justice Issues I

Abstract

In the United States, immigration has always been a controversial issue that attracts intense and emotional debates across multiple lines. While the country is generally considered a melting pot, successive governments have implemented policies that have had adverse effects on immigration and raised questions about the hospitality of the nation. One such policy is the 287(g) program that empowers and authorizes local police agencies to perform immigration-related duties. This policy or program does not only affect the immigrant population but is also capable of tarnishing the relationship between the police and the immigrant population. Given the number of police departments and counties that participate in this program, it has become necessary to gauge how immigrants perceive their local police departments. This study will use secondary data to assess factors that influence immigrants’ levels of confidence and trust in the police and compare immigrants’ attitudes to those of native-born citizens.

Authors

• Michael K. Dzordzormenyoh, Kent State University

• Francis Boateng, University of Mississippi