Authors: Joaquín Alfredo-Angel Rubalcaba, Alberto Ortega, and Prentiss A. Dantzler
Journal: AEA Papers and Proceedings
Abstract: This research examines whether the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) investigation into the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, a 287(g) program participant, influenced the policing behavior of other 287(g)-participating agencies in North Carolina. The study reveals that these agencies increased stops of Hispanic drivers at checkpoints following the DOJ lawsuit, indicating a strategic shift in response to potential DOJ scrutiny. Our findings suggest a phenomenon where 287(g) agencies, under threat of investigation, modify their discriminatory strategies, perpetuating racial and ethnic disparities in policing. This adds to the understanding of 287(g) and its role in fostering racial profiling.
Key Findings
- Summary data across traffic stops by local law enforcement agencies in North Carolina from 2010 to 2013 show that Hispanic motorists were more likely to be stopped for low-level traffic offenses and checkpoints relative to non-Hispanic motorists.
- Following the DOJ’s lawsuit against the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, the other law enforcement agencies participating in the federal immigration enforcement program–but who were not under investigation–were more likely to stop Hispanic motorists at checkpoints, a setting in which discrimination in police stops is more difficult to detect. Conversely, they reduced (higher-visibility) stops of Hispanic motorists based on low-level violations.
- In short, these participating agencies shift policing efforts as the threat of federal investigation over misuse arises.
Citation: Rubalcaba, Joaquin Alfredo-Angel, Alberto Ortega, and Prentiss A. Dantzler. 2024. “DOJ Intervention and the Checkpoint Shift: Profiling Hispanic Motorists under the Section 287(g) Program.” AEA Papers and Proceedings 114: 546–49. DOI: 10.1257/pandp.20241132
