Project Summary:
This study, examines the impact of automated criminal record expungement on immigration outcomes. Nearly half of the states in the U.S. have recently passed laws automating criminal record expungement. However, an unintended consequence of these laws is that non-citizens no longer have access to records they are required to produce in immigration proceedings when facing removal or seeking a change in legal status. Dr. Sarah Lageson and Dr. Lorena Avila (Villanova University), along with Northeastern students Adrian Ramos and Daniela Bernstin, investigates how court actors experience automated expungement policies and the impact of these policies on removal outcomes for non-citizens facing removal. She also conducts interviews and participant observation and is analyzing data from the Transaction Records Access Clearinghouse, the Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement for her study.
Funders:
This project is funded by the Russell Sage Foundation.
