Recent Shifts in the Volume, Nature, and Scope of State Immigration Policies in the United States

Authors

  • Lisa Marie Pierotte Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Maryland
  • Min Xie Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Maryland
  • Eric Baumer Department of Sociology and Criminology Pennsylvania State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59670/ml.v15i2.373

Keywords:

immigration legislation, federalism, immigration control, immigration integration, policy research

Abstract

We conducted a comprehensive categorization of state-level immigration policies from 2005–2014 and described for this period the nature of growth in state-level legislative activity, the ideological directions of the policies pursued, the breadth of topic areas covered, and the influences of states’ geographical location, political party orientation, and historical experiences with immigration.  Our assessment shows that while all states actively participated in this area of policy expansion, there also is substantial state-level variation in the underlying principles of implementation.  Furthermore, past and current experiences with immigration and political party control of state legislatures, rather than proximity to the U.S. border, shaped the respective policy agendas adopted by states.

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Author Biographies

Lisa Marie Pierotte, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Maryland

Lisa Marie Pierotte is a doctoral student in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park.  Her research interests include re-entry, program evaluations, and policy research.

Min Xie, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice University of Maryland

Min Xie is associate professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, College Park.  Her research interests include theories of criminal victimization; race, ethnicity, and gender issues; multilevel and longitudinal models; and spatial data analysis. 

Eric Baumer, Department of Sociology and Criminology Pennsylvania State University

Eric Baumer is professor of Sociology and Criminology at Pennsylvania State University.  His research explores demographic, temporal, and spatial patterns of illicit activity, the mobilization of law, and the application of criminal justice sanctions.  

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Published

2018-04-29

How to Cite

Pierotte, L. M., Xie, M., & Baumer, E. (2018). Recent Shifts in the Volume, Nature, and Scope of State Immigration Policies in the United States. Migration Letters, 15(2), 266–283. https://doi.org/10.59670/ml.v15i2.373