Topic:

Effects of lmmigration Enforcement on Mobility andAvoidance Behavior: Evidence from 287(g) Agreements

Abstract:

We study how increased interior immigration enforcement affects the mobility of Hispanic people, both documented and undocumented. We circumvent issues of survey respondent bias and measurement error by focusing on fatal traffic accidents, which provide objective reports of individuals' location, ethnicity, and driver's license status. Using two-way fixed effects estimation with staggered rollout across counties and years, we find that 287(g) agreements decrease Mexican driver fatalities by 40.6%, relative to the pre-agreement mean, with precisely estimated null effects on Cuban and Puerto Rican drivers who are at no risk of deportation under US immigration policy. Additionally, we find a 51.2% decrease in unlicensed Mexican driver fatalities, suggesting larger responses for undocumented people. Though reductions in traffic fatalities are undoubtedly positive outcomes for those involved, our findings point to a chilling effect on Mexican mobility caused by increased interior immigration enforcement, which likely has large, negative spillovers to the Mexican community and the economy as a whole.

Lecturer: Kendall Kennedy

Kendall Kennedy, Assistant Professor, School of Business and Management, Mississippi State University. His research interests include labor economics, public economics, and health economics. Received his PhD from Purdue University in 2018 and conducted research as a visiting scholar in the Economics Department at Brown University. His research has been published in reputable Economics journals such as Labour Economics, Journal of Population Economics, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management,Economic Inquiry, etc. Chaired the National Science Foundation and W.E.Upjohn Institute for Employment Research Foundation.

Time: May 21 ,2024 10:00-12:00

Venue: B409,ZhixinBuilding,Central Campus