Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era

"Ming Hsu Chen writes with great intelligence and compassion about the frightening reality of attempting to pursue citizenship in a moment when every interaction with the federal government also involves tremendous risk. She brings to life the struggle of recently arrived immigrants who want to integrate more fully into American society, even as federal policy seeks to exclude as many as possible. The complexities of constantly changing and sometimes even contradictory immigration laws are explained and the true predicaments of well-intentioned immigrants who seek only to follow the law to the best of their understanding are illuminated. Chen does a masterful job."—Helen Thorpe, author of The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in America

"As much critique as corrective vision, Ming Chen's powerful book brings us revelatory conversations with immigrants seeking to become citizens. Their experiences, frustrations, and dreams shine sharp spotlights on the official barriers they face—and on our shared humanity."—Ian F. Haney López, University of California, Berkeley

"Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era offers a nuanced analysis of the complex relationship between the legal status of citizenship and real belonging to U.S. society. Drawing on wide-ranging interviews, Ming Chen shows how overemphasizing immigration enforcement undermines the integration of immigrants and their potential to make society more cohesive. This is trail-blazing scholarship on how immigrants become citizens."—Hiroshi Motomura, UCLA School of Law

"Chen makes a compelling case that federal government can and should do more—much more—to integrate its residents by supporting access to citizenship. With a clear-eyed picture of the functional benefits of formal citizenship, this book offers a thoughtful policy roadmap for achieving that goal."—Jennifer Chacón, UCLA School of Law

"Chen here demands that we migration scholars stake a deeper claim in the changes that are needed to ensure all of our well-being.Pursuing Citizenshipis an essential read for all of us committed to accepting that challenge."—Shannon Gleeson, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books

"Pursuing Citizenship in the Enforcement Era provides a powerful account of the struggles that many noncitizens and their families faced during the increased immigration enforcement of the Trump era... Chen offers a strong defense of formal citizenship, particularly in contexts where immigration enforcement is prioritized, because of its impact on one's sense of equality and community membership."—Rose Cuison-Villazor, Michigan Law Review