An Immigration Patchwork in the States: How Partisanship, Regionalism, and Shifting Priorities Impact State Immigration Laws

Author: 
Cristobal Ramón & Theresa Cardinal Brown
Date of Publication: 
November, 2018
Source Organization: 
Bipartisan Policy Center

The state-level research in "An Immigration Patchwork in the States: How Partisanship, Regionalism, and Shifting Priorities Impact State Immigration Laws" could have broad implications for national immigration policy and politics. Given that both parties have found some key areas of consensus around immigration at the state level, national lawmakers could use these points of agreement to guide the development of broader immigration reform that could overcome rigid partisanship. Regional differences in both parties can also play a mediating role, with conservative Democrats in the South and moderate Mountain State Republicans sharing similar policy prescriptions. Although the national debate over immigration policy will continue to exert partisan influence on this issue, the existing consensus at the state level suggests some possible avenues for breaking partisan gridlock in Washington. Conversely, deepening partisanship at the state level and enactment of state laws that attempt to push the national immigration debate in one direction or the other could further weaken efforts at bipartisanship at both levels of government.

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Citation: 

Ramón, C. & Brown, T. C. (2018). An Immigration Patchwork in the States: How Partisanship, Regionalism, and Shifting Priorities Impact State Immigration Laws. Bipartisan Policy Center. Retrieved from https://bipartisanpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/An-Immigration-Patchwork-in-the-States.pdf

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