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Police Trust and Domestic Violence: Evidence from Immigration Policies

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Listed:
  • Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina

    (University of California, Merced)

  • Arenas-Arroyo, Esther

    (Vienna University of Economics and Business)

Abstract

Domestic violence is a serious under-reported crime in the United States, especially among immigrant women. While the Violence against Women Act (VAWA) allows battered immigrants to petition for legal status without relying on abusive U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident spouses, we find that intensified interior immigration enforcement has curbed the VAWA self-petition rate. In contrast, sanctuary policies limiting the cooperation of police with immigration authorities have helped counteract that impact. The results, which prove robust to alternative measures of the policies, support the hypothesized changes in victims' reporting in response to the policies. Understanding survivors' responses to immigration policy is crucial given growing police mistrust and vulnerability to crime among immigrants.

Suggested Citation

  • Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Arenas-Arroyo, Esther, 2019. "Police Trust and Domestic Violence: Evidence from Immigration Policies," IZA Discussion Papers 12721, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp12721
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patricia Cortés & José Tessada, 2011. "Low-Skilled Immigration and the Labor Supply of Highly Skilled Women," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(3), pages 88-123, July.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law

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