Biography:

Emily Weisburst is an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Luskin School of Public Affairs at the University of California, Los Angeles. Weisburst’s work focuses on topics in labor economics, including criminal justice, education and immigration. Her research interests include understanding factors that impact police decision-making and public trust in police, as well as how interactions with the criminal justice system affect individuals, families and communities. Weisburst earned her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. While in graduate school, she worked as a Staff Economist at the Council of Economic Advisers in the Executive Office of the President and as a research associate for the RAND Corporation on joint projects with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Weisburst’s work has been funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, and the National Academy of Education, as well as by several UCLA organizations, including the UCLA Racial and Social Justice Grants Program, the Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy, the Ziman Center for Real Estate, the California Center for Population Research, and the California Policy Lab.

“Immigration Enforcement and Public Safety”

Abstract:

How does immigration enforcement affect public safety? While heightened enforcement could decrease crime by incapacitating offenders, public safety could suffer if victims become less willing to report crimes. We examine the implementation of the federal Secure Communities program, which significantly increased the volume of detentions and deportations of unauthorized immigrants. Using survey data from the U.S. Census Bureau, we find that Hispanic victims are less likely to report crimes to the police and Hispanic individuals are more likely to become victims of a crime after the program’s introduction. These two opposing effects lead to a null impact on reported crimes. We provide evidence that the decline in Hispanic reporting is a key channel driving their increased victimization. Our findings underscore the importance of directly measuring victim reporting for understanding the impact of criminal justice policies.

To learn more about Professor Emily Weisburst, visit her department homepage here:

Emily Weisburst | Luskin School of Public Affairs | Public Policy