Effects of deportation fear on Latinxs’ civic and political participation

Abstract

ABSTRACT As deportations have increased, fear of removal has risen. However, few scholars have addressed the effects of deportability on civic and political engagement. Using the Pew Hispanic Center's 2010 National Survey of Latinos (data file and codebook accessed 3 March 2014 from http://www.pewhispanic.org/category/datasets/), I explore the effects of fear of deportation (FOD), encounters with the homeland security state, and racial discrimination on Latinxs’ political participation. Findings reveal that FOD, discrimination, and encounters with the homeland security state produce distinct trajectories of political integration. These indicators catalyzed nonelectoral action around immigration reform. Experiences of discrimination positively affected Latinx citizens’ plans to vote, though FOD and encounters with the homeland security state were not significant. Notably, when accounting for FOD, encounters with the homeland security state, and discrimination, citizenship and immigration status did not have significant effects. These results bring together the literatures on crimmigration and immigrant political incorporation, revealing concrete ways that deportability and racialization of Latinx communities shape participation.