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Illegal Immigration, State Law, and Deterrence

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  • Mark Hoekstra
  • Sandra Orozco-Aleman

Abstract

A critical immigration policy question is whether state and federal policy can deter undocumented workers from entering the United States. We examine whether Arizona SB 1070, arguably the most restrictive and controversial state immigration law ever passed, deterred entry into Arizona. We do so by exploiting a unique dataset from a survey of undocumented workers passing through Mexican border towns on their way to the United States. Results indicate the bill's passage reduced the flow of undocumented immigrants into Arizona by 30 to 70 percent, suggesting that undocumented workers from Mexico are responsive to changes in state immigration policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Hoekstra & Sandra Orozco-Aleman, 2017. "Illegal Immigration, State Law, and Deterrence," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 9(2), pages 228-252, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:9:y:2017:i:2:p:228-52
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.20150100
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    10. Sarah Bohn & Magnus Lofstrom & Steven Raphael, 2014. "Did the 2007 Legal Arizona Workers Act Reduce the State's Unauthorized Immigrant Population?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 96(2), pages 258-269, May.
    11. Anderson, Michael L., 2008. "Multiple Inference and Gender Differences in the Effects of Early Intervention: A Reevaluation of the Abecedarian, Perry Preschool, and Early Training Projects," Journal of the American Statistical Association, American Statistical Association, vol. 103(484), pages 1481-1495.
    12. Pia Orrenius & Madeline Zavodny, 2003. "Do amnesty programs reduce undocumented immigration? Evidence from Irca," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 40(3), pages 437-450, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Heepyung Cho, 2022. "Border enforcement and the sorting and commuting patterns of Hispanics," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(4), pages 938-960, September.
    2. Maria Esther Caballero & Brian C. Cadena & Brian K. Kovak, 2018. "Measuring Geographic Migration Patterns Using Matrículas Consulares," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 55(3), pages 1119-1145, June.
    3. Samuel Bazzi & Gordon Hanson & Sarah John & Bryan Roberts & John Whitley, 2021. "Deterring Illegal Entry: Migrant Sanctions and Recidivism in Border Apprehensions," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(3), pages 1-27, August.
    4. Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Arenas-Arroyo, Esther & Wang, Chunbei, 2020. "Is immigration enforcement shaping immigrant marriage patterns?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    5. Joseph-Simon Görlach, 2023. "Borrowing Constraints and the Dynamics of Return and Repeat Migration," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 41(1), pages 205-243.
    6. Martínez Flores, Fernanda, 2018. "The deterrence effect of immigration enforcement in transit countries: Evidence from Central American deportees," Ruhr Economic Papers 749, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
    7. Derek Christopher, 2023. "Seeking sanctuary: Housing undocumented immigrants," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 1065-1091, September.
    8. Ryan Abman & Hisham Foad, 2022. "Border Walls and Crime: Evidence From the Secure Fence Act," Eastern Economic Journal, Palgrave Macmillan;Eastern Economic Association, vol. 48(2), pages 167-197, April.
    9. Kaz Miyagiwa & Yasuhiro Sato, 2019. "Illegal immigration, unemployment, and multiple destinations," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 118-144, January.
    10. Sandra Orozco-Aleman & Heriberto Gonzalez-Lozano, 2021. "Return Migration and Self-Employment: Evidence from Mexican Migrants," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 148-183, June.
    11. Pia M. Orrenius & Madeline Zavodny, 2022. "Does immigration enforcement affect where less‐educated US natives and Hispanic immigrants live?," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(5), pages 1432-1451, November.
    12. Sandra Orozco-Aleman & Heriberto Gonzalez-Lozano, 2018. "Labor Market Effects of Immigration Policies Border Enforcement and Amnesty," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 150-177, June.
    13. Zhang, Yinjuejie & Palma, Marco & Xu, Zhicheng, 2016. "Effects of the Alabama HB 56 Immigration Law on Crime: A Synthetic Control Approach," 2016 Annual Meeting, February 6-9, 2016, San Antonio, Texas 229780, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    14. Gunadi Christian, 2020. "Examining the Impact of Legal Arizona Worker Act on Native Female Labor Supply in the United States," IZA Journal of Labor Policy, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-41, March.
    15. Christopher Maggio, 2021. "State‐level immigration legislation and social life: The impact of the “show me your papers” laws," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 102(4), pages 1654-1685, July.
    16. Fernanda Martínez Flores, 2020. "The Effects of Enhanced Enforcement at Mexico’s Southern Border: Evidence From Central American Deportees," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(5), pages 1597-1623, October.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J18 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Public Policy
    • J61 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers - - - Geographic Labor Mobility; Immigrant Workers
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law

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    1. Illegal Immigration, State Law, and Deterrence (American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 2017) in ReplicationWiki

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