research
I am currently engaged in three, ongoing research projects:
from the border to the “big apple” | Since spring 2022, tens of thousands of immigrants have arrived in New York City from Central and South America. Many of these immigrants have arrived in passenger buses chartered en masse from the United States-Mexico border to New York City’s Midtown Manhattan. There, families and individuals lack access to food and shelter, and few have local connections and ties to New York City. According to officials, this has “overwhelmed” government resources, leading New York City’s mayor to declare a “humanitarian crisis.” This project examines New York City’s reaction and response to the recent influx of immigrants as well as the growing constellation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) responsible for aiding and assisting these individuals and families.
ice and the city | This research investigates the contemporary role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cities across the United States. Over the past two decades, ICE activities have expanded rapidly. From conducting workplace raids and arresting immigrants to overseeing a robust system of detention and deportation, ICE has quickly become the public face of immigration enforcement and policing. Much of this activity has been concentrated in urban areas throughout the United States interior. This project centers on these enforcement efforts to explore the urban imaginaries and tactics at play in ICE’s ongoing operations.
insurgent borders | In March 2021, Texas’ governor announced Operation Lone Star, a sprawling, joint mission between the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), Texas Military Department (TMD), and other states’ agencies along the U.S.-Mexico border. To date, more than $4.5 billion has been diverted into the mission, which has seen thousands of law enforcement and military personnel deployed to various border sectors across south and west Texas. At a cost of more than $2.5 million a week, Texas spends more money on border and immigration enforcement than any other state. This project examines Operation Lone Star to consider the position of states and localities in making and implementing immigration law and policy as well as the ways in which these very same states and localities are transformed through the process in turn.