Graduation Year

2026

Date of Submission

12-2025

Document Type

Campus Only Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Reader 1

Lily Geismer

Abstract

This thesis examines what Texas and California’s immigration enforcement approaches reveal about the political uses of immigration federalism. Using a comparative analysis of state policy design, political rhetoric, and enforcement outcomes, the study assesses how each state leverages shared enforcement authority to signal partisan identity. Texas’s enforcement-first approach generates high enforcement activity but weak alignment between stated goals and results. California’s integration-first approach produces more consistent alignment between policy goals and outcomes. These patterns demonstrate that political incentives significantly shape state enforcement behavior, raising concerns about the coherence and stability of immigration governance.

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This thesis is restricted to the Claremont Colleges current faculty, students, and staff.

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