Economics and deportation experts on DOJ lawsuit against Illinois’ sanctuary laws
Deportation efforts can erode trust between police and the communities they serve, says expert
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Journalists seeking expert sources to weigh in on the Department of Justice lawsuit claiming that local and state laws violate federal immigration law are invited to reach out to professors of political science and economics at Northwestern University. They have provided the following insights:
Repeat of a rejected legal argument:
“The Department of Justice lawsuit is oddly silent on any specific individuals or locations that interfered with their efforts to pursue ICE detainers or obtain information. The broad complaints about Illinois and its localities enforcing policies vis-a-vis its own employees and protecting their budgets and residents from the consequences of unlawful ICE actions appear to repeat legal arguments courts swatted down during the first Trump administration.” – Jacqueline Stevens, professor of political science
Stevens is a founding director of the Deportation Research Clinic of the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs and a faculty associate at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern. She can be reached at jacqueline-stevens@northwestern.edu.
May ultimately make communities less safe:
“While deportation efforts are often framed as a way to reduce crime, these policies can erode trust between police and the communities they serve. Our research shows that increased deportations not only made victims less likely to report crimes to the police but also worsened public safety overall. Policymakers should be aware that deportations may ultimately make communities less safe by undermining the ability of police to effectively do their jobs.” – Elisa Jácome, assistant professor of economics
Jácome is a fellow at the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern. Her domestic policy research is focused on immigration and the criminal justice system. She co-authored the study “Community Engagement and Public Safety: Evidence from Crime Enforcement Targeting Immigrants.” She can be reached at ejacome@northwestern.edu.
For legal experts view the Feb. 6 media advisory.