Media Contact
Adam Allington
Though legal challenges are ongoing, the Supreme Court has temporarily cleared the way for Texas to begin enforcing a controversial immigration law that allows state officials to arrest and detain people they suspect of entering the country illegally.
Shannon Gleeson
Professor of Labor Relations, Law & History
Shannon Gleeson is a professor in Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and says the court’s decision hinges not only on the question of who holds authority over immigration regulation, but also how far states should be allowed to go in encroaching on the fundamental rights of migrants.
Gleeson says:
“This is yet another example of the ever-expanding role of state, and local, governments in policing immigrants, alongside debates over the use of the 287(g) and related programs in the interior of the country, which engage regularly in racial profiling.”
“Research shows that instead of stemming the declared “invasion” of migrants, the failure to address the humanitarian crisis at the southern border has historically fueled border deaths and clandestine trafficking efforts that have resulted in numerous tragedies throughout the Americas.
“The impact of continuing to criminalize migration will likely be dire for a wide range of indicators of migrant well-being. In a context of underfunded resources to uphold compliance with labor protections, worker exploitation will worsen.”
