The navigation of undocumented immigrants in society and the U.S. Immigration Legal System: through the lens of Brazilians in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Files
pdf version of thesis
Date
2023-05
DOI
Authors
Werneck, Lara
Version
Embargo Date
2023-05-05
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Over 10 million undocumented immigrants currently live in the U.S. and have no legal pathways to obtain permanent legal status. While Hispanic undocumented populations are often represented in the field of academia, the Brazilian undocumented community is usually left behind. There is also a lack of research conducted on the experiences of undocumented immigrants in their daily lives as well as in rural areas. Thus, this paper aims to analyze the navigation of undocumented immigrants in society and the U.S. immigration legal system through the lens of undocumented Brazilian immigrants in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The findings of this study are based on 20 interviews that were conducted in Portuguese; the interviewees come from five different states in Brazil and have spent different amounts of time in the U.S. ranging from 1 to 25 years. It was found that the interviewees face the following daily challenges due to their undocumented status: systemic exclusion, discrimination, legal malpractice, police targeting and maltreatment, as well as detrimental psychological effects. The interviewees experiences also shed light on the perseverance and strength of the undocumented Brazilian immigrant community as they utilize a set of tools to navigate the complex immigration legal system and overcome the obstacles that come their way: word of mouth and avoiding legal professionals, conducting extensive individual legal research, and self-advocacy.
Description
This study highlights the experience of undocumented immigrants through the lens of the undocumented Brazilian immigrant community in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Through an analysis of twenty interviews that were conducted, this study sheds light on the daily obstacles that undocumented immigrants face because of their status. An analysis is also provided regarding the experience of undocumented immigrants with legal professionals.