Sovereign bias, crimmigration, and risk

Abstract

This chapter is part of a larger research project. It examines the proenforcement tilt of crimmigration with reference to sovereign bias. Sovereign bias alludes to how the nation-state wields extraordinary power over noncitizens at territorial borders and within boundaries. It favors politics over law, and the state over immigrants. It occurs where political actors have final say over legal matters, and governmental authority is nearly unconstrained by constitutional norms. As much as plenary powers have tempered in recent years, sovereign bias continues to drive an exceptional path for immigration at the intersection of law and crime. Following a brief examination of crimmigration enforcement and detention, the chapter documents sovereign bias in ICE’s risk classification assessment for detention, where secret computer algorithms are responsible for recommending the mass detention of hundreds of thousands of noncitizens without due process.