TheImmigrationLab
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theimmigrationlab.bsky.social
TheImmigrationLab
@theimmigrationlab.bsky.social
Social science research collaborative on all things immigration. Directed by @drernestocast.bsky.social and based at American University, Washington, DC
www.immigrationlab.org
🚨 NOW OPEN: Spring 2025 Applications! 🚨

The Immigration Lab is recruiting more Research Interns, Digital Communications & Events Interns, and Volunteers

📅 Priority Deadline: January 1st
🌎 Multilingual applicants encouraged to apply

Learn more & apply here 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/cdzetoayly
November 6, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Read more about the Safe Third Country Agreement (Tercer País Seguro) at https://www.dw.com/es/acuerdo-migratorio-con-ee-uu-podría-ser-positivo-para-belice/a-74478665
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Though, the arrests of Mexicans in the interior has grown since January 2025, largely about individuals settled for years, with jobs, and U.S.-citizen family members.
November 1, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
What can a 3,000-year-old story teach us about migration, identity, and belonging? Join author and classicist Daniel Mendelsohn for The Odyssey and Its Migrations: Displacement, Wandering, Identity, a modern look at Homer’s timeless epic.
📅 Thurs, Nov. 6 | RSVP: https://bit.ly/3X56mRw
November 2, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
"Realidades de la inmigración: ¿Cómo entender y desafiar los mitos sobre los migrantes?" Cátedra Norbert Lechner de la Universidad Diego Portales.
catedranorbertlechner.udp.cl/conferencia/...
October 30, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
A deeply disturbing plan, but one thing important to clarify here is that these contracts would be for skiptracing, i.e. establishing locations, and NOT for carrying out arrests.

So this would not see private contractors grabbing people — although it could mean contractors surveilling immigrants.
“Under the plan, bounty hunters may receive “monetary bonuses” depending on how successfully they track down their targets — and how many immigrants they then report to ICE.”

Or ICE could just fund the Klan directly.
ICE Plans Cash Rewards for Private Bounty Hunters to Locate and Track Immigrants
Companies hired by ICE would be given bundles of information on 10,000 immigrants at a time to locate — and paid cash bonuses for performance.
theintercept.com
November 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Documented or not, Latinos are changing habits during ICE crackdown

An immigration attorney in Austin, said the majority of her clients are “living in fear.”
Documented or not, Latinos are changing habits during ICE crackdown
With the Supreme Court saying authorities can use race as a reason to stop people, Latinos and others say they are wary of looking for work, shopping and walking children to school.
wapo.st
November 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Most Latinos keep self-identifying as Democratic voters. Most blame Republicans for the shutdown, feel the negative effects of economic & immigration policies on their families. Over 11% of bilingual Latinos who voted for Trump already regret it after less than 10 months back in government.
November 1, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Our Dia de los Muertos Event was a success! Thank you for joining us as we learned about the holiday and its many traditions, while enjoying churros and Abuelita hot chocolate. Another thank you to those who shared their stories on our ofrenda 🧡🌼
November 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Applications for the Spring semester sessioin are open! Visit https://f.mtr.cool/usgairlbmg to apply before January 1st.
October 30, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Come join us at the Public Anthropology Conference where we will present our findings from the Immigration DMV project!
October 28, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Thank you to all who joined Ernesto Castañeda's talk to better "Understand Immigration Realities;"  Let’s keep the conversation going on International Migration!  
Be on the lookout for a recording of the talk out soon on our podcast: "Immigration Realities."
October 28, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Migrants face unique mental health challenges—trauma, fear, and exclusion—but too often remain invisible in care systems. This #WorldMentalHealthDay, we affirm that mental health for all means migrants too. Read more:
Migrants’ Mental Health Matters Too
By Maria De Jesus and Ernesto Castañeda, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and Immigration Lab, American University
theimmigrationlab.org
October 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
📣 Understanding Immigration! Join Dr. Castañeda for an in-depth discussion on today’s immigration realities. He will examine key trends, challenges, and the social, political, and cultural factors shaping immigration in the U.S.

October 15th, 3:30 - 5:00 PM, Hall of Science T07
October 1, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Undoc immigrants are less likely to use social programs than the native-born because they aren't eligible or chose not to use them. For evidence, see Ch 5 in "Immigration Realities." On the history and effects of excluding undocumented people from Obamacare and healthcare, see Joseph's "Not All In."
October 3, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
ICYMI
We wrote on October 30, 2024, about the potential influences of Project 2025 on immigration policy if Trump were to win. Many recommendations have already been implemented. Read more here:
"Project 2025: Presidential Transition Project & Immigration"
https://f.mtr.cool/vxgpbqaajd
October 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
I spoke to a Venezuelan woman who was arrested in this raid and later released with her 4yo son. She said agents broke down their door, pointed guns at them and made sexualized remarks about Venezuelan women. When she returned to her apartment it was boarded up and all her possessions were gone.
October 4, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
"many — including some who voted for the president — say they're alarmed about the use of tactics such as masked immigration agents making arrests and U.S.-born Latinos being arrested."
September 27, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Another victim of Dallas shooting has passed: Mr. García-Hernández.
"An official with ICE identified the three victims of the shooting as Mr. García-Hernández, Jose Andres Bordones-Molina of Venezuela and Norlan Guzman-Fuentes of El Salvador. Family members of Mr. Guzman-Fuentes said he was killed."
September 30, 2025 at 10:23 PM
We have written many reports on the economic contributions of immigrants. Sometimes we get valid criticism about reducing people to their labor. Interestingly many of the immigrants we have been interviewing in NYC & DC say that themselves in their effort to show they matter, hear Marshall Plane.
October 1, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Inside Family Detention with Javier Hidalgo and Faisal Al-Juburi from RAICES Texas

Join me on Tuesday Oct 7 at 1:00 pm EST for an in-depth conversation about the harsh realities of family detention and how immigrant rights organizations are responding.

austinkocher.substack.com/p/inside-fam...
Inside Family Detention with Javier Hidalgo and Faisal Al-Juburi from RAICES Texas
Join me on Tuesday October 7 at 1:00 pm Eastern for an in-depth conversation about the harsh realities of family detention and how immigrant rights organizations are fighting back.
austinkocher.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:46 PM
This book is great to practice your Spanish. Factual and informative book written in a clear, straightforward fashion and read clearly and slowly by a voice professional with a neutral accent.
September 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
This coming Tuesday!
📣 Authors of "The Big Business of Locking Up Migrants" @nancyhiemstra.bsky.social  & Deirdre Conlon expose the profit-driven system behind U.S. immigration detention. With discussants,  @austinkocher.com @tazreenasajjad.bsky.social 
@drernestocast.bsky.social  Register: https://f.mtr.cool/xktcmkvghe
September 27, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by TheImmigrationLab
Given the deportation quotas and aggressive detentions by ICE, all Latinos are suspect. It does not matter if they are citizens, conservative, or voted for Trump; they may be racially profiled, stopped, and even detained -As I told Cesar Miguel Rondon in this video in Spanish.
September 26, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Talk by Mexican Anthropologist and CLALS Research Fellow Federico Besserer. September 17, 2025. American University, Washington, DC.
September 16, 2025 at 9:10 PM