Deportations and Latino Segregation: The Residential Impacts of Interior Immigration Enforcement

By: Matthew Hall, Jacob S. Rugh, Hao Liang,

The shift of immigration enforcement to local jurisdictions hasintensified localized patterns of anti-immigrant sentiment, enablingthe system of mass deportation to expand at an unprecedented scale.This study examines the effects of 287 (g) agreements, which empowerlocal law enforcement to enforce immigration laws, on Latinoresidential segregation. Using a quasi-experimental design thatcompares counties implementing 287 (g) with those that applied but didnot implement, we find that these policies significantly sloweddeclines in Hispanic-white segregation, particularly in early-adoptingSouthern counties where enforcement was most aggressive. We find noevidence that the program altered patterns of segregation fornon-Hispanics. Our analysis suggests that these effects are driven byshifts in residential mobility and migration behaviors among Latinohouseholds, as enforcement amplified economic vulnerability, fear, andspatial isolation. By demonstrating how immigration enforcementdisrupts Latino integration into residential communities, this studyreveals the far-reaching consequences of these policies for racialstratification and neighborhood inequality in the United States.

Brigham Young University Faculty Publications, 2025.