Documentation Status, Neighborhood Disorder, and Attitudes Toward Police and Courts Among Latina Immigrants

Abstract

Individuals who live in disordered neighborhoods tend to view the justice system more negatively. However, some families with an undocumented member may feel compelled to remain undetected or may lack the means for suitable housing, and thus may have little choice but to live in disordered neighborhoods. The present study answers the question, does documentation status moderate the relation between neighborhood disorder and attitudes toward police and courts? In a sample of 159 Latina immigrants, 54.5% were undocumented immigrants and 45.5% were documented. Results indicated that documentation status moderated the association between neighborhood disorder and trust in police and courts, accounting for experience-derived attitudes toward police, years spent in the United States, employment status, and education status. Specifically, women who lived in desirable neighborhoods viewed the police and courts as effective, fair, and lawful, regardless of documentation status; however, undocumented women living in disordered neighborhoods viewed the police and courts more negatively than documented women in disordered neighborhoods. These findings add an important immigration policy component to recent research that suggests that the mechanisms driving attitudes in police and courts vary across neighborhood quality. Overall, the results suggest that policy related to immigration should consider the unintended effects of such laws on justice system perceptions with empirically demonstrated repercussions for public safety.