“The Police Have Never Been Our Friend”: Exploring Latino Immigrant Perceptions of Law Enforcement

The expansion of migration control responsibilities to state and local law enforcement agencies has created over-policed immigrant communities centered around “capturing and deporting” rather than “protecting and serving.” These arrangements have blurred the lines between criminal and immigration enforcement. Often touted as the gatekeepers to the criminal justice system, the role of police in immigration enforcement has helped them become the gatekeepers of the crimmigration system. This chapter addresses the impact of state and local policing enforcement measures on Latino immigrant communities. Using original data collected between 2018 and 2021, I draw from semi-structured interviews with Mexican immigrants about their lived experiences, with a specific focus on victimization and over-policing.