THE POLITICS AND PRACTICES OF IMMIGRATION POLICY IN THE UNITED STATES

How the United States immigration system operates has myriad consequences not only for individuals, families and communities but also for today’s world politics. Due to procedural complexities, political dynamics and often inadequate or misleading sources of information, navigating the legal landscape of immigration to the United States can be a daunting challenge. This thesis has two objectives: first, to illuminate how the immigration system operates by providing an overview of relevant policies, processes and requirements; and second, to explore what occurs in practice by interviewing individuals working with migrant populations, immigration issues and border politics in Southern Arizona. The overview includes discussion of temporary statuses, Lawful Permanent Resident statuses, humanitarian legal relief, and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival Program. I also explore citizenship issues, the legal position of undocumented individuals, and deportation processes. The research draws primarily on government-issued sources (especially, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Citizen and Immigration Services) and is supplemented by an array of interviews. The latter both highlight how mixed-status families, risk assessments, mental health, and language barriers complicate actual practices, and paint a picture of how immigration works in reality in order to propose reforms to the system