Interior immigration enforcement: The impacts of expanding local law enforcement authority

Abstract

A growing emphasis on interior immigration enforcement in the US has broadened the legal authority of state and local law enforcers to investigate and enforce immigration violations, thereby expanding the federal government’s interior enforcement capabilities. This study investigates how local immigration enforcement programs, such as 287g, alter the operational priorities of local law enforcers and impact communities in two jurisdictions in North Carolina. Our findings show that despite different jurisdictional implementation styles and contexts, the 287g Program led to increasing fear and distrust of law enforcement among immigrants and affected police–community relationships in ways that compromise public safety and security. The unintended negative community consequences found in our study suggest that the federal government should be more cautious about authorising state and local jurisdictions to carry out immigration enforcement.