Interest Groups and The Politics of Immigration Reform
PSA Professor Lecture: Professor Robin Jacobson
Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6:30pm
WY 101
Snacks will be provided!
Sponsored by the Political Science Association
Interest groups are at the center of the debate over immigration. Groups ranging from ethnic associations, business, religious or environmental organizations, all have something to say about this fraught political issue. In fact, they all have more than something to say, they have multiple and sometimes contradictory positions on the issues. How does the Christian Coalition decide if they want to support expanded access to citizenship for family members in defense of family values or closing the borders in defense of our national sovereignty? Does the Sierra Club support stronger border enforcement to limit population growth in the United States or do they oppose such enforcement because of the potential environmental damage to the border regions? Why does the AFL-CIO at one moment argue to restrict employment of undocumented immigrants and at another tries to organize the undocumented to protect their labor rights? We will explore these and other similar puzzles as we try to get to the bottom of how interest groups set their agendas on the politics of immigration.
