Criminalization and Citizenship: How Racial Discrimination Affects U.S. Immigration Policy

Melissa Lisette Trejo, University of Texas at El Paso

Abstract

This paper focuses on immigration operations and policies from 1990-2008 with a focus on how these operations and policies affected the city of El Paso, Texas. The work begins with a brief introduction of immigration policies from the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 which gave amnesty to undocumented immigrants. The research follows Bowie High School's lawsuit against the United States Border Patrol, Operation Hold the Line, and how racial scripts were used from 1990-2000. To conclude, the thesis focuses on post-9/11 legislation, criminalization and citizenship profiling, and a hearing that was held in El Paso, Texas at the Chamizal National Monument discussing why local law enforcement should or should not enforce immigration laws.

Subject Area

History

Recommended Citation

Trejo, Melissa Lisette, "Criminalization and Citizenship: How Racial Discrimination Affects U.S. Immigration Policy" (2022). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI30242465.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI30242465

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