"Since 2004, the United States has seen a flurry of state and local laws
dealing with unauthorized immigrants. Though initially restrictionist,
these laws have recently undergone a dramatic shift toward promoting
integration. How are we to make sense of this new immigration
federalism? What are its causes? And what are its consequences for the
federal-state balance of power? In The New Immigration Federalism,
Professors Pratheepan Gulasekaram and S. Karthick Ramakrishnan provide
answers to these questions using a mix of quantitative, historical, and
doctrinal legal analysis. In so doing they refute the popular 'demographic necessity' argument put forward by anti-immigrant activists
and politicians. Instead, they posit that immigration federalism is
rooted in a political process that connects both federal and subfederal
actors: the Polarized Change Model. Their model captures not only the
spread of restrictionist legislation but also its abrupt turnaround in
2012, projecting valuable insights for the future." —Publisher's description
