Administrative Burdens in the Immigration System

Immigration policy is one of the most entangled aspects of American governance, complete with a series of overlapping systems. Inevitably, this will produce bureaucracy and complicated implementation of the often-tortuous rules. The legal processes can be stressful, arduous, and frustrating, leading to an anti-immigration administrative culture. In fact, these administrative burdens can be a driving force or even a tool against legal immigration. In a recent paper, our guests today argue that the Trump administration used administrative burdens to achieve a policy outcome in immigration administration.

Dr. Donald Moynihan is McCourt Chair and Dr. Pamela Herd is a professor, both at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. They are co-authors of the 2018 book Administrative Burden: Policymaking by Other Means. They are also co-authors on a recent paper titled “Kafka’s Bureaucracy: Immigration Administrative Burdens in the Trump Era.” They joined the podcast to talk about their research and the immigration system.