Public Responses to Climate and Enforcement: Evidence from Immigrant-Serving Community-Based Organizations during the 2016 Presidential Election
Abstract
Federal immigration policies and enforcement change across presidential administrations. Intentions for these changes start during presidential campaigns and are reflected in policy changes and enforcement practices once the winning administration takes office. Throughout these changes, community-based organizations (CBOs) are on the front-lines of local efforts to help immigrant and noncitizen families navigate these changes and fill gaps in public services. Specifically, CBOs are often the main providers of economic (e.g., foodbanks), social (e.g., English language classes), legal (e.g., pro-bono legal services), and civic (e.g., naturalization classes) supports for immigrants and their families to integrate into the U.S.In this paper, we study whether local communities responded to the increased anti-immigrant rhetoric and resulting enforcement practices surrounding the 2016 presidential election. Specifically, we assess whether support for CBOs – as measured by monetary donations – was influenced nationwide leading up to and through the election (climate effects), as well as whether there were differential local effects once the new administration increased interior enforcement through raids (enforcement effects).