Investigating the Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Civic Mobility and Local Economic Activity

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented intensification of interior immigration enforcement, with ICE arrests reaching their highest daily levels in over a decade in 2025. Prior research suggests that intensified immigration enforcement can simultaneously suppress civic engagement, reduce economic activity, and erode trust in public institutions. However, most existing evidence is geographically limited, restricted to a single outcome domain, or is only available after extensive delays. Machine learning and public policy scholar Amanda Coston will examine how intensified immigration enforcement shapes civic participation and neighborhood economic activity at a national level. She will analyze smartphone mobility data and credit card data for her study.