Refugees’ Levels of Trust in Police Personnel in their Resettled Communities: Application of the Social Identity Theory

Abstract Since the Refugee Act was enacted in 1980, approximately 3.1 million refugees have been resettled in the United States (U.S.). Drawing on social identity theory, this study examined several factors associated with refugees’ levels of trust in police personnel in their resettled communities in the U.S. This cross-sectional study derived data from the 2020 Annual Survey of Refugees ( N = 1527). Two logistic regressions involving unadjusted and adjusted analyses were performed to determine the significant association between selected factors and refugees’ levels of trust in police personnel. Approximately 72.7% of refugees reported higher levels of trust in police personnel in their resettled communities. Specifically, refugees who were male (OR = 1.56; p < .009), felt somewhat welcome (OR = 2.46; p = 0.015), and felt very welcome (OR = 7.18; p < 0.001), safe (OR = 2.07; p < 0.001) in their resettled communities were more likely to report higher levels of trust in police personnel in their resettled communities. However, refugees identifying as Asian by race/ethnicity (OR = 0.17; p = 0.022) and Sub-Saharan Africans (OR = 0.36; p < 0.001) were less likely to report higher levels of trust in police personnel in their resettled communities. This study underscores the importance of developing multilevel interventions to address resettlement needs of refugees, systemic racial and ethnic inequalities and discrimination by focusing on promoting safety, implementing gender-sensitive policing strategies, and enhancing cross-cultural representation in law enforcement recruitment in the U.S.