Abstract
Concern over immigration has culminated in unprecedented legislative action at the local level, in particular state level legislation has begun to increasingly target immigrants and penalize immigration violations (Chavez and Provine, The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 623:78–92, 2009; Hegen, State legislation related to immigrants and immigration: January 1–June 30, 2008). The present study examines the effect of state level immigration legislation on immigrant Latino families at a time of high immigration, when immigrants are settling into locations which have not historically had immigrant populations, and during an extended economic recession (Mather, Children in immigrant families chart new path: Reports on America, 2009; US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Economic downturn widespread among states in 2009: Advanced 2009 and revised 1963–2008 GDP-By-state statistics, 2010; US Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Napolitano announces deferred action process for young people who are low enforcement priorities, 2012). Immigrant families today are likely to differ from those of the past in that they are more likely to be from Latin America or the Caribbean and include unprecedented numbers of unauthorized immigrants (Passel and Cohn, Unauthorized immigrant population: National and state trends, 2010, 2011; US Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Napolitano announces deferred action process for young people who are low enforcement priorities, 2012). The present study draws on interviews with 40 families from an emerging immigrant destination in North Central Indiana to help illuminate the ways in which local legislation and enforcement impacts immigrant Latino families. Results illustrate how state level immigration legislation can create barriers and challenges for immigrant Latino families, with authorized and unauthorized status alike. This study also finds that many immigrant Latino families are “mixed status families,” where a family consists of both authorized and unauthorized immigrant status family members, and thus share the plight of unauthorized family members. Due to this “mixed status family” status, many families experience the collateral consequences of state level legislation, including family stress and uncertainty in the form of family level “liminal legality,” escalated intergenerational tension, and increased social isolation.
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The term “unauthorized” is used here over “illegal” or “undocumented” following Passel (2007).
- 2.
That is, Alabama House Bill 19 which eliminates certified naturalization documentation as an acceptable form of voter identification and instead requires a government issued photo identification from a state or territory.
- 3.
Arizona et al., Petitioners v. United States, 567 U. S. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/11pdf/11-182b5e1.pdf.
References
Alba, R., Rumbaut, R. G., & Marotz, K. (2005). A distorted nation: Perceptions of racial/ethnic group sizes and attitudes toward immigrants and other minorities. Social Forces, 95, 901–919.
Bacallao, M. L., & Smokowski, P. R. (2007). The cost of getting ahead: Mexican family system changes after immigration. Family Relations, 56, 52–66.
Betancur, J. J. (1996). The settlement experience of Latinos in Chicago: Segregation, speculation, and the ecology model. Social Forces, 74(4), 1299–1324.
Bui, H. N., & Thingniramol, O. (2005). Immigration and self-reported delinquency: The interplay of immigrant generations, gender, race, and ethnicity. Journal of Crime and Justice, 28, 79–100.
Butcher, K. F., & Piehl, A. M. (1998). Recent immigrants: Unexpected implications for crime and incarceration. Industrial & Labor Relations Review, 51, 654–679.
Calavita, K. (1996). The new politics of immigration: “Balanced-budget conservatism” and the symbolism of proposition 187. Social Problems, 43, 284–305.
Cave, D. (2008, June 9). States take new tack on illegal immigration. New York Times.
Chandler, C. R., & Tsai, Y. (2001). Social factors influencing immigration attitudes: An analysis of data from the general social survey. The Social Science Journal, 38, 177–188.
Chavez, J. M., & Griffiths, E. (2009). Neighborhood dynamics of urban violence: Understanding the immigration connection. Homicide Studies, 13(3), 261–273.
Chavez, Lopez, A., Englebrecht, C. M., & Viramontez Anguiano, R. P. (2012). Sufren los Niños: Exploring the Impact of unauthorized Immigration Status on Children’s Well-being. Family Court Review, 50(4), 638–649.
Chavez, J. M., & Provine, D. M. (2009). Race and the response of state legislatures to unauthorized immigrants. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 623, 78–92.
Creswell, J. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1992). School matters in the Mexican-American home: Socializing children to education. American Educational Research Journal, 29(3), 495–513.
Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research. Chicago, IL: Aldine.
Greenstone, M., & Looney, A. (2010). Ten economic facts about immigration. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institute. Retrieved from http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2010/09/immigration-greenstone-looney
Guzman, J. C., Jara, R., & Armet S. (2011). In J. R. Reyes & J. C. Guzman (Eds.), Latinos in North Central Indiana: A demographic profile (Vol. 1). Goshen: Goshen College.
Hagan, J., Levi, R., & Dinovitzer, R. (2008). The symbolic violence of the crime-immigration nexus: Migrant mythologies in the Americas. Criminology and Public Policy, 7, 95–112.
Hagan, J., & Palloni, A. (1999). Sociological criminology and the mythology of Hispanic immigration and crime. Social Problems, 46, 617–632.
Hagan, J. M., Rodriguez, N., & Castro, B. (2011). Social effects of mass deportations by the United States government, 2000-10. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 34(8), 1374–1391.
Hegen, D. (2008). State legislation related to immigrants and immigration: January 1–June 30, 2008. Washington, DC: Immigrant Policy Project, National Conference of State Legislatures.
Hernandez, D. (2004). Demographic changes and the life circumstances of immigrant families. The Future of Children, 14(2), 17–47.
Martinez, R., Jr. (2002). Latino homicide: Immigration, violence, and community. New York: Routledge Press.
Mather, M. (2009). Children in immigrant families chart new path: Reports on America. Washington, DC: Populations Reference Bureau.
Menjívar, C. (2006). Liminal legality: Salvadoran and Guatemalan immigrants’ lives in the United States. The American Journal of Sociology, 111, 999–1037.
Meyer, B., Segreto, J., Carter, A., & Morse, A. (2012). 2011 Immigration-related laws and resolutions in the states (Jan. 1–Dec. 7, 2011). National Council of State Legislatures. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/documents/immig/2011ImmFinalReportDec.pdf
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication.
Morse, A., Carter, A., Lawrence, M., & Segreto, J. (2012) State omnibus legislation and legal challenges. National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/immig/omnibus-immigration-legislation.aspx
Nuñez-Neto, B. (2008). Border security: The role of the U.S. border patrol. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, CRS Report RL32562.
Nuñez-Neto, B., Garcia, M. J., & Ester, K. (2007). Enforcing immigration law: The role of state and local law enforcement. Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, CRS Report RL32270.
Ortman, J. M., & Guarneri, C. E. (2009). United States population projections: 2000 to 2050. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/population/www/projections/analytical-document09.pdf
Passel, J. S. (2007). Unauthorized migrants in the United States: Estimates, methods, and characteristics. Social, Employment, and Migration Working Papers No. 57. Paris, France: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Passel, J. S., & Cohn, D. (2011). Unauthorized immigrant population: National and state trends, 2010. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
Passel, J. S., Cohn, D., & Lopez, M. H. (2011). Census 2010: 50 million Latinos; Hispanics account for more than half of nation’s growth in past decade. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
Passel, J. S., & Taylor, P. (2010). Unauthorized immigrants and their U.S.-born children. Washington, DC: Pew Hispanic Center.
Portes, A., Fernández-Kelly, P., & Light, D. (2012). Life on the edge: Immigrants confront the American health system. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35(1), 3–22.
Portes, A., & Zhou, M. (1993). The new second generation: Segmented assimilation and its variants. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 530, 74–96.
Ramakrishnan, S. K., & Wong, T. (2007). Immigration policies go local: The varying responses of local governments to undocumented immigration. Unpublished paper, University of California, Riverside.
Reid, L. W., Weiss, H. E., Adelman, R. M., & Jaret, C. (2005). The immigration-crime relationship: Evidence across U.S. metropolitan areas. Social Science Research, 34, 757–780.
Romero, M. (2006). Racial profiling and immigration law enforcement: Rounding up of usual suspects in the Latino community. Critical Sociology, 32, 447–473.
Rumbaut, R. G., & Ewing, W. A. (2007). The myth of immigrant criminality and the paradox of assimilation: Incarceration rates among native and foreign-born men. Washington, DC: Immigration Policy Center.
Sampson, R. J. (2008). Rethinking crime and immigration. Contexts, 7, 28–33.
Shields, M. K., & Behrman, R. E. (2004). Children of immigrant families: Analysis and recommendations. The Future of Children, 14(2), 4–15.
Singer, A. (2004). The rise of new immigrant gateways. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institute.
Spradley, J. P. (1979). The ethnographic interview. New York: Wadsworth.
Suarez-Orozco, C., Yoshikawa, H., Teranishi, R. T., & Suarez-Orozco, M. M. (2011). Growing up in the shadows: The developmental implications of unauthorized status. Harvard Educational Review, 81(3), 438–472.
U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2010). Economic downturn widespread among states in 2009: Advanced 2009 and revised 1963–2008 GDP-By-state statistics. News release. Retrieved from http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/gdp_state/2010/pdf/gsp1110.pdf
U. S. Census Bureau. (2009). American community survey: Detailed tables (Table showing demographics of families in the United States). Retrieved from http://factfinder.census.gov/home
U. S. Census Bureau. (2010). Profile America: Facts for the features. Hispanic heritage month 2010: Sept. 15–Oct.15. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb10-ff17.html
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2011). Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2010. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statistics.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2012). Secretary Napolitano announces deferred action process for young people who are low enforcement priorities. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/20120612-napolitano-announces-deferred-action-process-for-young-people.shtm
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (2012). Activated jurisdictions. Retrieved from http://www.ice.gov/doclib/secure-communities/pdf/sc-activated1.pdf
Vandenack, T. (2011). Some wonder if lack of Elkhart jobs linked to illegals. Indiana Economic Digest. Retrieved from http://www.indianaeconomicdigest.net
Viramontez Anguiano, R. P., & Lopez, A. (2012). El miedo y el hambre: Understanding the familial, social, and educational realities of undocumented Latino families in North Central Indiana. Journal of Family Social Work, 15(4), 1–16.
Walker, S. (1997). Complaints against the police: A focus group study of citizens perceptions, goals, and expectations. Criminal Justice Review, 22(2), 207–226.
Walker, S., Spohn, C., & DeLone, M. (1996). The color of justice: race, ethnicity, and crime in America. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Welch, K., Payne, A. A., Chiricos, T., & Gertz, M. (2011). The typification of Hispanics as criminals and support for punitive crime control policies. Social Science Research, 40, 822–840.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chavez, J.M., Englebrecht, C.M., Lopez, A., Anguiano, R.P.V., Reyes, J.R. (2013). Collateral Consequences: The Impact of Local Immigration Policies on Latino Immigrant Families in North Central Indiana. In: Brotherton, D., Stageman, D., Leyro, S. (eds) Outside Justice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6648-2_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6648-2_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6647-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6648-2
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)