Citizenship profiling and diminishing procedural justice: local immigration enforcement and the reduction of police legitimacy among individuals and in Latina/o neighbourhoods

Abstract

ABSTRACT The U.S. has witnessed increases in the local policing of federal immigration law. This practice raises concerns about citizenship profiling, where local law enforcement questions individuals on suspicion of being undocumented and, in turn, its influence on police legitimacy. We examine whether citizenship profiling influences two measures tapping into legitimacy, perceptions of trust in police effectiveness and cooperation with local police, among individuals and in Latina/o-immigrant neighbourhoods. Based on 691 surveys collected in 46 neighbourhoods in a county along the U.S.-Mexico border, multilevel analyses shows that citizenship profiling reduces both trust in policing effectiveness and cooperation with police among individuals. Moreover, while residents in Latina/o-immigrant neighbourhoods reported more cooperation with police, being citizenship profiled and residing in these neighbourhoods significantly reduced cooperation with law enforcement. In conclusion, there is strong evidence that the local policing of immigration compromises police legitimacy, raising concerns about perceptions of procedural justice.