Peripheral Matters: The Emergence of Legalized Politics in Local Struggles Over Unauthorized Immigration

National immigration policy meets the realities of unauthorized immigration at the local level, often in ways undesired by residents, as exemplified by the dramatic rise of local anti-immigrant legislation in US states and municipalities. Scholars have studied why some states and municipalities, but...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Law & social inquiry 2014, Vol.39 (3), p.601-620
Main Authors: Provine, Doris Marie, Rojas-Wiesner, Martha Luz, Velasco, Germán Martínez
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activism
Chiapas
Citizenship
Deportation
Federalism
Government
Immigration
Immigration legislation
Immigration Policy
International borders
International migration
Legal Pluralism
Legislation
Local Politics
Mexico
Municipalities
Political protests
Politics
Social law
Symposium: The Negotiated Expansion of Immigrant Control
United States of America
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Summary:National immigration policy meets the realities of unauthorized immigration at the local level, often in ways undesired by residents, as exemplified by the dramatic rise of local anti-immigrant legislation in US states and municipalities. Scholars have studied why some states and municipalities, but not others, engage in immigration policy making. Such research is not designed, however, to evaluate how the basic structure of US government facilitates and shapes local protest. To probe that issue, we compare Chiapas, Mexico and Arizona, USA, both peripheral areas significantly affected by unauthorized immigration and national policies designed to control it. We find that the open texture of US federalism facilitates local activism, while Mexico's more centralized government does not. Activists within both states are similar, however, in deploying law creatively to critique national policy, a reminder of the growing worldwide significance of legal pluralism and legal consciousness in the politics of protest.
ISSN:0897-6546
1747-4469
1545-696X
DOI:10.1111/lsi.12080