Work

Immigrant Threat, Racial Competition, and White Resistance to Police and Criminal Justice Reform

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: This research draws on conflict-based accounts to examine how perceptions of out-group threats shape White resistance to police and criminal justice reform. Using nationally representative data from the ANES-GSS 2020 Joint Study, we find that White Americans who perceive immigrants as a criminal threat are more likely to prioritize the need for more robust social controls rather than supporting efforts toward reforming the police and the criminal legal system. We also uncover a link between racial competition for political power and White preferences for a stronger emphasis on law and order through expanded policing and more stringent enforcement of the laws. This preference supersedes the desire to address bias against minorities in the criminal legal system through police and court reforms. The implications of these findings for understanding the current context of American racial and immigration politics, as well as the future of American policing and criminal justice, are discussed.

Source: American Behavioral Scientist

DOI: 10.1177/00027642241300921

Authors: Jonathan C. Reid, Javier Ramos, Samantha J. Brown

Institutions: Texas A&M University, Sam Houston State University, University of North Florida

Language: English

Topic: Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,450