The Impact of State-Level Immigration Enforcement on Deportees' Human Rights and Migratory Plans

Catalina Amuedo-Dorantes, San Diego State University
Susan Pozo, Western Michigan University

The recent recession has brought about a heighted sense of animosity toward undocumented immigrants manifested in the adoption of increasingly tougher immigration measures at the state level. Examples include newly mandated employment verification systems or state laws enabling state and local police to check the immigration status of individuals they have probable cause to arrest. Simultaneously, reports of abuses against immigrants have been on the rise. We will examine how the climate created by the passage of these measures at the state level has impacted the treatment that undocumented immigrants receive during the apprehension process, as well as the effectiveness of such policies in curtailing repetitive illegal crossings.