The Human Impact of Deportation

View the recording of the seminar here

Speaker: Juan Tellez, Assistant Professor, Political Science, UC Davis

Abstract:

In recent decades, mass deportation has become a key element of immigration policy in many countries, including the United States. To understand its impact, we draw on an original panel survey of deportees in Guatemala. Our findings provide rare insight into their experiences. First, we find that most deportees emigrated to the U.S. for economic reasons. Second, few committed non-migration crimes, the vast majority worked, and many acquired assets that were left behind upon deportation. Third, deportees focus on security, employment, and social networks when deciding where to go upon re-entry. But, in follow-up surveys, we find they experience high unemployment and exposure to insecurity. Fourth, 78% of deportees say they might or definitely intend to remigrate in the coming year. Thus, without changes in sending country conditions, deportation is only a short-term solution for receiving countries seeking to address immigration policy, but it has enormous human impact on deportees.