Immigration federalism renewed: the effects of state and local policies on the legal and labor market outcomes of the U.S. immigrant population

Abstract

This dissertation empirically examines three distinct instances of immigration federalism. Though immigration law and policy is inherently federal, state and local governments have recently implemented various laws and policies that implicate the immigrant population in the United States. This trend, known as immigration federalism, has resulted in a jurisdictional patchwork of laws and policies nationwide. Chapter I studies Official English laws, which require that all official government business be conducted in the English language. This chapter examines the labor market impacts of the state-level modern Official English movement on the limited English proficient workforce. Chapter II provides a nationwide empirical analysis of the labor market impacts of 287(g) agreements, which are signed by local governments and allow federal immigration authorities to deputize local officers. Chapter III examines a different type of local body: the immigration court. While immigration courts are a part of the federal immigration system, each court must autonomously manage the backlog of cases in its docket. My analysis examines the impact of case backlog on both the duration of immigration cases and the final decision in each immigration case.