Webinar: The Economics of Migration (Senior Seminar)

Border Apprehensions, the Latino Threat and Federal Sentencing of Hispanic Citizens in the United States

Date & Time:  Wednesday December 1st, 5:30pm

Speakers: Jérôme Valette (CES, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Simone Bertoli (CERDI), Morgane Laouenan (CES, CNRS)

Register here (Zoom)

Topic: Border Apprehensions, the Latino Threat and Federal Sentencing of Hispanic Citizens in the United States

Abstract:

This paper provides econometric evidence that Hispanic citizens receive significantly longer sentences in the US Federal Criminal Justice System when there is an increase in the number of illegal aliens that are apprehended along the US-Mexico border. This effect appears to be related to discrimination rather than time-varying unobserved heterogeneity between Hispanic and non-Hispanic defendants. An increase in apprehensions can either induce a more negative attitude towards Latinos in the United States or an increase in the salience of Hispanic ethnic identity, which is typically associated with persistent negative stereotypes. The proposed interpretation is corroborated by the analysis of the heterogeneity of the results along several dimensions. Notably, the estimated effect is only at play for defendants without a heavy previous criminal record and larger when defendants share the same observable characteristics as the average Latino immigrants in the US population.

About the seminar series:
This is a joint initiative of LISER's Crossing Borders research programme, CERDI, PSE,the University of Luxembourg and Universidad Carlos III. Its objective is to propose an opportunity to migration scholars for exchanging under the current exceptional circumstances.
To learn more and view all Seminars click here