The Intensity of Local Immigration Conflict: Variations across Space and Time

ABSTRACT Many municipalities in the United States have experienced conflict over immigration, but the intensity of these conflicts varies. It is important to understand why one place experiences more conflict than another, because highly intense conflicts can have big impacts on local responses to immigration. This paper contributes to the immigration literature by constructing a measure of conflict intensity to assess what factors affect the intensity of local conflicts over immigration. A dataset on local conflict over day laborers in California in the period 1985–2020 is employed to assess how conflicts vary by time and space. This paper argues that demographics and politics do not play a major role when it comes to conflict intensity, while contact mediated by time and space is a decisive factor. Initial contact can boost conflict intensity as it may magnify differences and breed feelings of fear. However, endured encounters provide the opportunity to develop connections and allow communities to get familiar with immigrant day laborers.