Freedom in Chains: An Empirical Analysis of Public- and State-Driven Support for the Privatization of Immigration Detention

Abstract

Since the 19th Century, the United States has both welcomed migrants for their economic contributions and shunned their arrival when citizens perceived threat. As a country built on migration and settlement, the United States fails to embrace the very ideals rooted in its foundation. Today, immigrants face more persecution than ever. Not only do authorities neglect to alleviate the atrocities faced by immigrants, they are the culprits. The practice of detaining immigrants in facilities has been used by the government to deter the arrival of undocumented aliens for several decades, but the emergence of a for-profit detention industry is a recent phenomenon. Over the past ten years, the number of private immigration detention centers have grown exponentially throughout the country. As journalists and activists uncover the truth behind private detention facilities, they find detainees living in gruesome conditions with inhumane treatment. As private prison companies continue to profit off of the detainment of vulnerable populations, we have to ask why is the private immigration detention industry growing? Why do authorities continue to support an industry plagued by cruelty?

By using quantitative statistical analysis, I tested two main theories that address why officials resort to privatizing immigration detention centers and contribute to the industry’s growth. This thesis found that state government officials are influenced by public opinion and financial capacities when making decisions to privatize detention facilities. Specifically, I found that the public’s declining trust in state governments and states’ shrinking financial capabilities shape state authorities’ decisions to endorse more private detention contracts. In addition, I examined how these theories work under President Donald Trump’s administration and found that Trump’s salient and harsh anti-immigrant policies exacerbate the escalation of the private detention industry. As the United States continues to prop up a system that works behind opaque walls and treats individuals as commodities, we have to question the American response to forces of globalization and what it means for the future of immigrant and human rights.