Multiscalar motivations for immigration politics and policymaking in US cities

Abstract

As cities engage in immigration policy-making, they become increasingly important sites shaping and conditioning experiences of immigration, settlement and incorporation. One tool used by municipalities to engage with immigration are local regularizations (LRs), policies that increase or limit opportunities for the economic participation of undocumented immigrant residents. We analyze the differences in characteristics of US cities that did and did not pass LRs between 1990 and 2014, and those that passed LRs favorable or unfavorable to undocumented resident economic participation. We find important distinctions between sociocultural and political characteristics of cities that adopted favorable and unfavorable policies. For example, a positive relationship between Latino elected officials and favorable LRs, compared to a positive relationship between Republican Party voters and unfavorable LRs. For immigrant and undocumented populations there are complex non-linear relationships, highlighting the ways in which the adoption of all LRs are influenced by country-wide alongside local conditions, events and narratives. The findings support the importance of a relational approach to immigration politics and policymaking, attending to the characteristics and actions of both immigrant and non-immigrant actors. The study also highlights the importance of continued attention to broader policy-making ecosystems and the multiscalar motivations of municipal government actions.