New Study Finds Mexican Border Crossers Don’t Make Decision Based On Fear Of Punishment

A study by sociologist Emily Ryo of Stanford University indicates that Mexican immigrants who brave the dangers of the borderlands of Mexico and the United States in an illegal crossing don't take the possible punishments that could await them from authorities into account when they make their decision. According to Ryo's study, which has been published in the latest American Sociological Review, border-crossers make their decisions based upon what they believe to be their job prospects in Mexico versus in the US as well as the hazards of crossing without authorization.

"My findings show that perceptions of certainty of apprehension and severity of punishment are not significant determinants of the intent to migrate illegally; however, perceptions of availability of Mexican jobs and the dangers of border crossings are significant determinants of these intentions," writes Ryo.

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"Individuals' general legal attitudes, morality about violating U.S. immigration law, views about the legitimacy of U.S. authority, and norms about border crossing are significant determinants of the intent to migrate illegally. Perceptions of procedural justice are significantly related to beliefs in the legitimacy of U.S. authority, suggesting that, all else being equal, procedural fairness may produce greater deference to U.S. immigration law."

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The study used data from the Mexican Migration Project - a Princeton University project providing data on the "characteristics and behavior of documented and undocumented Mexican migrants to the United States" - and the Becoming Illegal Survey - a 2011 survey undertaken by Ryo investigating what kinds of moral values and beliefs about authority motivate Mexican immigrant - to reach its conclusions. Ryo found that border crossers are likely to think that Mexicans "have a right to be in the United States" and that the US government doesn't have the right to limit immigration.

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She found that border crossers are also likely to think the U.S. Government has no right to limit immigration and that "Mexicans have a right to be in the United States."

FronterasDesk notes that the study comes as the Department of Homeland Security, the agency which oversees immigration law enforcement in the US, is under fire from members of Congress for not releasing data on recidivism rates among border crossers. According to FronterasDesk, Arizona Republican Matt Salmon wrote a letter in late July to the Department demanding that they release that data as well as asking the Border Patrol to put out its own analysis of the ways that vehicle barriers, additional agents and ground sensors have had on illegal immigration.