Graduation Year

2026

Date of Submission

4-2026

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Government

Reader 1

Lisa Koch

Abstract

This thesis examines how United States immigration policy transformed after September 11, 2001 and asks whether modern immigration enforcement remains consistent with constitutional principles, human rights protections, and the broader ideals associated with the American Dream. The project investigates how immigration shifted from a primarily civil administrative system into one increasingly defined by surveillance, detention, and punishment. The central question guiding this research is whether the securitization of immigration has reshaped not only enforcement practices, but also the meaning of constitutional protections and human dignity for both citizens and noncitizens.

To answer this question, this thesis conducts a historical policy analysis of three presidential administrations—George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump—spanning more than two decades of immigration enforcement. Using legal analysis, policy review, and historical comparison, the research examines major laws, institutional changes, and executive policies across these eras. Key developments include the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, the expansion of enforcement authority following the War on Terror, the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012, and the expansion of detention and enforcement practices during the Trump administration. Across these three eras, the findings show a consistent expansion of federal enforcement authority, growing detention capacity, and increasing normalization of punitive immigration practices affecting millions of individuals nationwide. The research also identifies patterns of racialized enforcement and demonstrates that immigration policy increasingly functioned as a mechanism for surveillance and social control rather than administrative regulation.

The major finding of this thesis is that immigration enforcement in the United States has evolved into a system that tests the limits of constitutional protections and raises serious moral and human rights concerns. Policies initially justified as temporary national security responses became permanent institutional practices that shaped daily life, community stability, and access to fundamental rights. These developments matter beyond immigration policy alone. The treatment of noncitizens reveals how constitutional protections can expand or contract depending on political priorities, ultimately affecting the meaning of liberty and justice for all individuals. The broader implication of this work is that preserving the American Dream requires sustained attention to how immigration policy reflects national values, particularly the balance between security, constitutional accountability, and human dignity.

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