Immigration Enforcement, Parent-Child Separations, and Intent to Remigrate by Central American Deportees

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Criminology
• Migration Studies

Background:

• Rising migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to the U.S.
• Previous research on deportation and family separation.
• Limited understanding of interior enforcement's specific impact on remigration intentions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of U.S. interior enforcement on parent-child separations among Central American deportees.
• To examine the implications of these separations on deportees' remigration intentions.
• To assess the potential counterproductivity of interior enforcement.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the EMIF-sur survey.
• Employed statistical analysis to determine correlations between enforcement, separation, and remigration.
• Focused on deportees from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.

Main Results:

• U.S. interior enforcement significantly increases the likelihood of parent-child separations.
• Forced separations elevate the probability of parents intending to remigrate to the U.S.
• Enforcement-induced separations may deter fewer repetitive unauthorized crossings than intended.

Conclusions:

• Interior enforcement policies, by causing family separations, may inadvertently encourage rather than deter future unauthorized migration.
• The findings suggest a need to reconsider current enforcement strategies due to their potential counterproductive effects.
• Understanding the link between separation and remigration is crucial for effective migration policy.