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Show 274 Eduardo Reyes Chavez IMMIGRATION FEDERALISM: THE CASE OF IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT BY NON-FEDERAL AGENCIES Eduardo Reyes Chavez (Claudio A. Holzner) Department of Political Science University of Utah honors college spring 2012 Despite the historical agreement concerning the federal government as the main actor in immi-gration enforcement, contemporary legislation and academic scholarship has continued to claim non-federal agencies as having inherited power to enforce immigration laws. This study analyses the current immigration debate about federal and non-federal enforcement of immigration laws. Through a deep analysis of the U.S. Constitution and relevant U.S. Supreme Court rulings, along with critical lower court cases, this study will try to define who is entitled to full enforcement of immigration laws. The analysis shows four main arguments: 1) the U.S. Constitution and relevant court cases have established the federal government as the main enforcer of immigration laws; 2) The complexity of immigration laws concerning the enforcement of criminal and civil regula-tion may result in federal preemption through the overstepping of their formal agreements with the federal government; 3) The unnecessary immigration enforcement can cause local officers to disregard their traditional job and use their resources to enforce federal laws; 4) Local enforce-ment of immigration laws has further distanced immigrant communities by the voluntary or involuntary violation of civil rights. In conclusion, this study further advances the heated debate concerning the enforcement of immigration laws in the United States. It will expand the current conversation of constitutionality of state and local legislation in federal immigration laws. This study will specifically show that even though non-federal agencies may enforce criminal laws (and in special cases civil laws), the complexity of immigration laws may result in federal preemp-tion, violation of civil rights, and unnecessary spending of resources in a field where the federal government has the inherent power to enforce. Claudio Holzner |