Studying Under Uncertainty: College Students’ Encounters with the Criminal Justice System in Deportation and Detention

• In Event: Gender, Race, and the Carceral State: Paths to Justice and Reform

Abstract

This study was used to explore the experiences of college students who have interacted with the criminal justice system in cases of deportation and detention. Using survey data from 130 students at a four-year Hispanic-Serving Institution in a metropolitan area in the Southwest of the United States, we explored how these encounters impacted them emotionally and financially. Our preliminary findings suggest that most of our participants have had negative perceptions of the criminal justice system prior to their exposure to it due to their family members’ removal. Their negative perceptions were further reinforced by their relatives’ encounters with the system, manifested in the form of emotional (e.g., uncertainty, stress, fear) and financial (e.g., relocation of financial resources) burdens. Furthermore, after witnessing their family members’ removal, they feared for being profiled and targeted by the system themselves. Such negative perceptions and experiences have had a detrimental impact on participants’ academic prospects, adding extra stress to the already challenging academic journey. Our findings can inform higher education leaders and policy makers of the significant impacts of the criminal justice system on college students’ study and career.

Authors

• Yajaira Ceciliano-Navarro, University of Houston-Downtown

• Fei Yang, University of Houston-Downtown