Description
Book SynopsisLegal scholar and former public defender Beth C. Caldwell tells the story of dozens of immigrants who were deported from the United States—the only country they have ever known—to Mexico, tracking the harmful consequences of deportation for those on both sides of the border.
Trade Review"A deeply informed appeal to create more humane practices for noncitizens facing criminal deportation. . . . Caldwell looks systematically at the effects of deportation to Mexico on the spouses and children especially (drug abuse, depression, suicide, attractions to gangs) and how this inhumane banishment should be amended. A compelling, rigorously researched legal argument against the demonization of deportees." * Kirkus Reviews *
"By telling their stories, Caldwell humanizes the crises these individuals endure, including those of spouses and children who face the decision of having to leave everything they know behind to be with their exiled loved ones. A stark portrayal of the contradictory, misguided, and ineffectual immigration laws that determine the futures of so many." -- Kenneth Otani * Booklist *
"Accessible and eye-opening. . . . Caldwell’s extensive research, astute legal analysis, and readable prose make this a layperson-friendly introduction to a thorny problem." * Publishers Weekly *
"Drawing on heart-rending interviews with deportees . . . Caldwell decries the inconsistencies between the legal definition of citizenship and people’s experiences of rootedness. She argues that citizenship should be based on a person’s cultural associations rather than on national boundaries." -- Richard Feinberg * Foreign Affairs *
"Compelling, comprehensive and properly chilling." -- Andrea Plate * Asia Media International *
"The publication of
Deported Americans is immensely significant. . . . The literature on post-deportation life has shone light on the disorientation and alienation that accompany deportation. . . Caldwell is the first, however, to examine this population systematically in book-length form." -- Tobin Hansen * H-Diplo, H-Net Reviews *
"
Deported Americans bridges an imperative gap in the literature on immigration, legal policy, and family separation and provides helpful interpretive tools in the field of migration studies. It is a worthwhile resource for academics, policymakers, and practitioners interested in understanding the causes and consequences of migration and deportation policy." -- Kristina Lovato * International Migration Review *
“
Deported Americans is the result of a highly innovative, seven-year research project by Beth Caldwell.... I found this text an excellent introductory primer to the multi-layered, complex world of the deportation regime....” -- David C. Brotherton * Contemporary Sociology *
“This meticulously well researched and written book should be read by everyone concerned with immigration reform, in any region in the world but particularly in the United States.” -- Judy Adler Hellman * European Review of Latin American and Caribbean Studies *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1. In the Shadow of Due Process 17
2. Return to a Foreign Land 49
3. Life after Deportation 67
4. Deported by Marriage 101
5. Children of Deportees 127
Conclusion. Resistance and Reforms 153
Epilogue 189
Notes 193
Index 227
