Mechanisms of Change: How Local Offices of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Navigate the U.S. Immigration Governance Regime
While immigration is a federally regulated issue in the United States, states, counties, and municipalities, are increasingly involved in immigration bureaucracy. Offices of immigration and refugee affairs (OIRAs) have become increasingly common in large U.S. cities and generally are concerned with immigrant integration and welcoming immigrant communities. Yet, xenophobic and punitive policies are ingrained in U.S. immigration bureaucracy and are antithetical to the work of OIRAs. Public policy expert Kimberly Horner will examine how OIRAs work within and against these established structures to improve the lives of immigrants. She will conduct archival research and in-depth interviews for her study.