Undocumented youth in limbo: the impact of America’s immigration enforcement policy on juvenile deportations

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in AbstractThe surge in unaccompanied minor crossings between 2011 and 2014 led to an overwhelming increase in the number of juvenile deportation proceedings, which coincided with a peak in intensified immigration enforcement at the state and local levels. Using data on juvenile deportation proceedings, we examine how tougher immigration enforcement might have influenced judicial rulings on these cases and, ultimately, these youths' ability to stay in the country. We find that the average increase in immigration enforcement over that period is associated with a 15 percent reduction in the share of juvenile cases ending with permission to stay. The result underscores the importance of the immigration policy context in which courts operate on their rulings, even if immigration law is within the jurisdiction of the Federal government. Given the gravity of the circumstances these children are escaping, further attention to how the piecemeal approach to immigration enforcement might impact the protection of their humanitarian rights is warranted. Keywords:Interior immigration enforcement, unaccompanied minors, juvenile deportation proceedings, United States.JEL Codes: F22, K37, Z18. 1We are grateful to three anonymous referees for their help and guidance during the review process.

Adult Beliefs About the Migration Motives of Unaccompanied Honduran Youth

“…Similarly, personal security, crime, and violence were also factors spurring the undocumented migration of youth (Amuedo-Dorantes & Puttitanun, 2016, 2018; Anastario et al, 2015; Cannon et al, 2018; Lorenzen, 2017). Accordingly, the Williams Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2008 was a driver of unaccompanied youth migration according to Amuedo-Dorantes and Puttitanun (2016) as well as Jones (2017).…”