Discretion-as-politics in immigration processes: the case of unaccompanied migrant children in the US
Discretion-as-politics in immigration processes: the case of unaccompanied migrant children in the US
Trump administration’s anti-immigration measures affected dramatically the lives of unaccompanied migrant children (unaccompanied minors-UAMs) at the Southern border. This article investigates how and the extent to which the ‘discretionary power’ of immigration officials served the political objective of obstructing UAMs’ prospects of immigration relief. By drawing on qualitative empirical data, this article finds that border officials and the Attorney General employed ‘discretion-as-politics’ to block UAMs’ prospects of regularizing their immigration status in the US, which was consistent with the political agenda of the Trump administration.
Trump administration, Unaccompanied migrant children, civil servants, discretion, immigration
Iusmen, Ingi
696395c1-d60e-4fbd-aa2b-98aeecaa64b2
Iusmen, Ingi
696395c1-d60e-4fbd-aa2b-98aeecaa64b2
Iusmen, Ingi
(2021)
Discretion-as-politics in immigration processes: the case of unaccompanied migrant children in the US.
Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies.
(doi:10.1080/15562948.2021.1978605).
Abstract
Trump administration’s anti-immigration measures affected dramatically the lives of unaccompanied migrant children (unaccompanied minors-UAMs) at the Southern border. This article investigates how and the extent to which the ‘discretionary power’ of immigration officials served the political objective of obstructing UAMs’ prospects of immigration relief. By drawing on qualitative empirical data, this article finds that border officials and the Attorney General employed ‘discretion-as-politics’ to block UAMs’ prospects of regularizing their immigration status in the US, which was consistent with the political agenda of the Trump administration.
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Accepted/In Press date: 6 September 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 1 October 2021
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© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Keywords:
Trump administration, Unaccompanied migrant children, civil servants, discretion, immigration
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Local EPrints ID: 451269
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/451269
PURE UUID: 109aedd0-f196-47ab-81a7-1bde484a7e8e
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Date deposited: 16 Sep 2021 10:36
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:49
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