POL 523A - Immigration and Border Security

U.S. Immigration policy is vast and complex. Passed at the federal and state level and implemented at the local level, immigration policies have a myriad of consequences- intended and unintended. We will explore the various types of immigration policies, their goals, and consequences with an eye toward evaluating their efficacy. In particular, we will consider immigration policy from the perspective of border flows- who and what flow across our borders and the ability of the U.S. government to control those flows. We will also consider the historical and political context underpinning immigration policy today as well as explore the feasibility and need for reforms in the future. Together we will question the validity and necessity of national borders while weighing security, humanitarianism, geopolitical relations, terrorism, race, and capitalism, and freedom.