Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Urban Sociology

U.S. Cities and the Rights of Undocumented Immigrants

  • When Jan 28, 2019 from 06:00 to 08:00
  • Where Universitätsstraße 3b; 10117 Berlin; R002
  • Attendees Dr. Els de Graauw Prof. Talja Blokland
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January 28, 2019
Universitätsstraße 3b; 10117 Berlin
Room 002 (Ground Floor)

This talk is free and open to anyone interested in Urban Studies. No prior registration required. Check our website for more information: https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/de/lehrbereiche/stadtsoz/think_drink

<<<Dr. Els de Graauw, City University of New York>>>
Working the System: U.S. Cities and the Rights of Undocumented Immigrants

This talk engages with the literatures on urban citizenship and immigration federalism to discuss how U.S. cities, especially those with more progressive political leadership, have addressed the plight of undocumented immigrants, who in recent years have seen their rights restricted by federal officials and especially the Trump administration. Drawing on interviews with local government officials and immigrant rights organizations in San Francisco (CA) and New York City, this talk shows that these two politically progressive cities have successfully experimented with new local citizenship policies and practices vis-à-vis federal noncitizens. Yet, while notable laboratories of policy innovation that push the federal boundaries of citizenship, these cities have done so in ways that do not formally challenge or undermine the federal monopoly over immigration and citizenship matters. The talk will also discuss the political institutional and political normative factors that constrain city officials from pushing the boundaries further.