Illegal Immigration, State Law, and Deterrence

Mark Hoekstra and Sandra Orozco-Aleman

American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2017, vol. 9, issue 2, 228-52

Abstract: A critical immigration policy question is whether state and federal policy can deter undocumented workers from entering the United States. We examine whether Arizona SB 1070, arguably the most restrictive and controversial state immigration law ever passed, deterred entry into Arizona. We do so by exploiting a unique dataset from a survey of undocumented workers passing through Mexican border towns on their way to the United States. Results indicate the bill's passage reduced the flow of undocumented immigrants into Arizona by 30 to 70 percent, suggesting that undocumented workers from Mexico are responsive to changes in state immigration policy.

JEL-codes: J15 J18 J61 K37 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
Note: DOI: 10.1257/pol.20150100
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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Working Paper: Illegal Immigration, State Law, and Deterrence (2014)
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