ICE in the News Inspires ‘Criminalizing Immigrants’ Class

The United States has for decades been known as a nation of immigrants, yet in recent years, anti-immigrant sentiment has swelled and the tactics of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have become a political flashpoint. Students in Daniela Valdés’ newest course, Criminalizing Immigrants: From Border Patrol to Mass Incarceration, are attempting to examine the historical narrative and its evolution to contemporary times.

Valdés, a Cotsen Fellow in the Society of Fellows and an associate research scholar and history lecturer in the Council of the Humanities, said recent attention-grabbing incidents and policies inspired the course, which examines immigration and incarceration from the Colonial period to present day through an interdisciplinary lens. It is cross-listed in history, gender and sexuality studies, African American studies, and American studies.

Students are learning about the importance of language in the telling of history — for example, words like “Chicano” have deep roots and invoke specific political narratives — and how political and social movements spread across borders.

Nicole Ramirez ’27 said she enrolled to better understand not only the current moment, but also “what kind of events have led up to the idea of criminals being inherently involved with immigration.”

“I think that this is the most pertinent course that anybody can be taking right now,” said Kenneth Simmons ’27.

All 13 students, mostly juniors and seniors from a range of majors, are working with Cosecha New Jersey, a local immigrant rights organization, as part of the course. Throughout the semester, students must attend and observe at least one Cosecha NJ event, such as a weekly vigil held outside Newark’s Delaney Hall Detention Facility.

For the final, the class will present a joint report of original research to Cosecha NJ on the intersection of race, immigration, and criminalization in the U.S. It will then be archived at the Hispanic Resource and Information Center at the Newark Public Library. Students can write papers or choose other formats, such as documentary film.

“The point is to contribute something of value, not just to historiography but to the communities that … are affected the most by the issues that we’re studying,” said Valdés.

Students are encouraged to look beyond peer-reviewed academic papers by talking to those who have been impacted by immigrant detention or deportation and their lawyers, for example.

“Given the significance of this moment in U.S. immigration history, I think it’s especially important to preserve firsthand accounts of how individuals are experiencing and responding to immigration policies,” said Madeline Cannon ’27. “I hope my project can contribute to documenting experiences that might otherwise go unrecorded.”