IMMIGRATION, CRIME, AND ENFORCEMENT

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: C&E SOC/SOC 140 , 210 , 211 , SOC 181 , ASIAN AM/AFROAMER/AMER IND/CHICLA 102 , CHICLA 201 , 210 , POLI SCI/CHICLA 231 , HISTORY/CHICLA/GEN&WS 245 , LEGAL ST/SOC 131 , or POLI SCI/LEGAL ST 217 (or FOLKLORE 102 prior to Fall 2026) Course Designation: Core GenEd - Civics & Perspectives Ethnic St - Ethnic Studies Breadth - Social Science Level - Advanced L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Discuss trends in immigration, crime, and border enforcement in recent decades and analyze these patterns through the application of theory in the social sciences and empirical data. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Engage major theoretical debates in migration scholarship. Why do people (not) move? How are migration decisions made? What effect does migration have on (a) receiving societies, (b) sending societies, and (c) migrants themselves? How is migration organized by gender? What differentiates forced and unforced migration? How are immigrants incorporated into new societies? Audience: Undergraduate 3. Develop a broader understanding of border enforcement through critical analysis of immigration policies and practices from an international perspective. That is, are recent trends in border enforcement unique to the United States? Audience: Undergraduate 4. Critically assess the often-controversial issues surrounding ethnicity, race, crime, and the law in society, drawing on readings and class discussion. Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Discuss trends in immigration, crime, and border enforcement in recent decades and analyze these patterns through the application of theory in the social sciences and empirical data. Audience: Undergraduate 2. Engage major theoretical debates in migration scholarship. Why do people (not) move? How are migration decisions made? What effect does migration have on (a) receiving societies, (b) sending societies, and (c) migrants themselves? How is migration organized by gender? What differentiates forced and unforced migration? How are immigrants incorporated into new societies? Audience: Undergraduate 3. Develop a broader understanding of border enforcement through critical analysis of immigration policies and practices from an international perspective. That is, are recent trends in border enforcement unique to the United States? Audience: Undergraduate 4. Critically assess the often-controversial issues surrounding ethnicity, race, crime, and the law in society, drawing on readings and class discussion. Audience: Undergraduate