Intergroup boundaries and removal decisions

Abstract Events and experiences that activate or intensify intergroup boundaries are ubiquitous. This study uses extensive court records and original data on immigration judges (IJs) to examine whether and how IJs responded to two recent exogenous shocks that made certain intergroup boundaries highly salient: (1) the COVID-19 pandemic that stigmatized Chinese nationals, and (2) former Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ issuance of Matter of A-B- that targeted certain Central American, Mexican, and female asylum seekers. We find that shared social identity between IJs and immigrants in removal proceedings predicts IJs’ removal decisions in response to the pandemic and in response to the Matter of A-B-. Our analysis also shows that social diversity of IJs at the court level predicts individual judges’ removal decisions in response to the pandemic. These results have significant implications for ongoing efforts to promote fairness and impartiality in immigration adjudication.