Immigration Policy and Security: U.S., European, and Commonwealth Perspectives

by Terri Givens, David L. Leal (Editor), Gary P. Freeman (Editor)

Immigration policy in the United States, Europe, and the Commonwealth went under the microscope after the terror attacks of 9/11 and the subsequent events in London, Madrid, and elsewhere. We have since seen major changes in the bureaucracies that regulate immigration—but have those institutional dynamics led to significant changes in the way borders are controlled, the numbers of immigrants allowed to enter, or national asylum policies? This book examines a broad range of issues and cases in order to better understand if, how, and why immigration policies and practices have changed in these countries in response to the threat of terrorism. In a thorough analysis of border policies, the authors also address how an intensification of immigration politics can have severe consequences for the social and economic circumstances of national minorities of immigrant origin.

Terri E. Givens is Vice Provost and Associate Professor of Government at the University of Texas at Austin.

Gary P. Freeman is Professor and Chair of the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin.

David L. Leal is Associate Professor of Government and Director of the Public Policy Institute at the University of Texas at Austin.

226 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Roxy Moran · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the most oddly organized book ever. The first half was largely devoted to the effects of US immigration policy on different population groups: Hispanics, Muslims, international graduate students, etc. THEN, the second half was focused on European immigration policy, with about 5 different chapters that were basically all about the same thing. Weirdest organization of a book I'd ever seen and didn't really do anything to further the covering of content. The book was extremely dry, with obscure European and American laws being mentioned without any background, which made it uninteresting and difficult to follow unless you had already read a bunch about immigration/security, and if you were why would you be reading this primer. I thought this book was completely dry and the thesis--the securitization of the rhetoric regarding American security policy vs. the absence of securitization in the rhetoric of European immigration policy--was uninteresting and insignificant. 2 stars because it's a book that was semi-coherent.

I also had to write an essay on this book, so that might have further dampened my view of it.