The Deportation Machine: America's Long History of Expelling Immigrants

by Adam Goodman

Overview

The unknown history of deportation and of the fear that shapes immigrants' lives

Constant headlines about deportations, detention camps, and border walls drive urgent debates about immigration and what it means to be an American in the twenty-first century. The Deportation Machine traces the long and troubling history of the US government's systematic efforts to terrorize and expel immigrants over the past 140 years. This provocative, eye-opening book provides needed historical perspective on one of the most pressing social and political issues of our time.

In a sweeping and engaging narrative, Adam Goodman examines how federal, state, and local officials have targeted various groups for expulsion, from Chinese and Europeans at the turn of the twentieth century to Central Americans and Muslims today. He reveals how authorities have singled out Mexicans, nine out of ten of all deportees, and removed most of them not by orders of immigration judges but through coercive administrative procedures and calculated fear campaigns. Goodman uncovers the machine's three primary mechanisms—formal deportations, "voluntary" departures, and self-deportations—and examines how public officials have used them to purge immigrants from the country and exert control over those who remain. Exposing the pervasive roots of anti-immigrant sentiment in the United States, The Deportation Machine introduces the politicians, bureaucrats, businesspeople, and ordinary citizens who have pushed for and profited from expulsion.

This revelatory book chronicles the devastating human costs of deportation and the innovative strategies people have adopted to fight against the machine and redefine belonging in ways that transcend citizenship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780691182155
Publisher:	Princeton University Press
Publication date:	06/23/2020
Series:	Politics and Society in Modern America , #131
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	1,130,488
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Adam Goodman teaches in the Department of History and the Latin American and Latino Studies Program at the University of Illinois Chicago. Twitter @adamsigoodman

Table of Contents

Introduction: Understanding the Machine 1

1 Creating the Mechanisms of Expulsion at the Turn of the Twentieth Century 9

2 Coerced Removal from the Great Depression through Operation Wetback 37

3 The Human Costs of the Business of Deportation 73

4 Manufacturing Crisis and Fomenting Fear at the Dawn of the Age of Mass Expulsion 107

5 Fighting the Machine in the Streets and in the Courts 134

6 Deportation in an Era of Militarized Borders and Mass Incarceration 164

Epilogue: Reckoning with the Machine 197

Note on Sources and Language 207

Acknowledgments 211

Notes 217

Index 311

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Drawing on interviews and oral histories, meticulous research in more than twenty archives, and old-fashioned detective work, Adam Goodman offers a beautifully written and comprehensive history of US deportation policies. This book is a must-read, not just for students, scholars, and policymakers, but for all engaged citizens who want a fuller recounting of our national past."—María Cristina García, author of The Refugee Challenge in Post–Cold War America

"Among the many books trying to make sense of the current moment, this one stands out. Goodman describes a machine that, for more than a century, would go of itself, put in perpetual motion by a toxic combination of racist ideology, vigilante impunity, and bureaucratic momentum. This impressively researched and sharply argued book is essential reading."—Greg Grandin, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America

"A brilliant historical analysis of the business dimensions of global labor migration and the apprehension, warehousing, and removal of immigrants deemed 'illegal' by those in authority. One of those rare studies that manages to grapple seriously and learnedly with one of the huge and pressing social issues currently facing humanity. Incisive, readable, and deeply engaging."—David G. Gutiérrez, author of Walls and Mirrors: Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the Politics of Ethnicity

"With a sharp historical eye and a masterful command of the archival material, Goodman reveals the vast mechanisms of state power to expel unwanted populations, of which formal deportations comprise only a small portion. This superbly researched, eminently engaging book is indispensable reading for understanding the architecture of immigration enforcement today."—Cecilia Menjívar, author of Enduring Violence: Ladina Women's Lives in Guatemala

"Most books about deportation focus on formal proceedings conducted by the government. Adam Goodman widens the scope to consider 'voluntary' departures and self-deportations, which are far greater in number and no less part of the state's deportation machinery. A must-read for all those who care about the reach of state authority and its consequences for immigrants and citizens alike."—Mae Ngai, author of Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America

Editorial Reviews

"Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in History"

Winner of the Henry Adams Book Prize, Society for History in the Federal Government

Winner of the PROSE Award in North American History, Association of American Publishers"

"Honorable Mention for the Theodore Saloutos Book Award, Immigration and Ethnic History Society"

Finalist for the Shapiro Book Prize, The Shapiro Center for American History and Culture at The Huntington

From the Publisher

2020-03-02
Exacting study of the historical roots of U.S. deportation policies.

As Goodman observes, though “the deportation machine has been running on all cylinders in recent years…it did not just come into being during the presidency of Donald J. Trump,” whose policies are discussed in a chilling epilogue. The author’s lean narrative contains six long chapters, examining the many political events that have caused fluctuating severity and approaches. Goodman illuminates surprising historical aspects—e.g., how enforcement began as racist local efforts aimed at Chinese and Mexican laborers. With increased central bureaucracy in the 1920s, “authorities placed an even greater emphasis on controlling the nation’s borders.” During the Depression, they were “increasingly aware of the power of scare tactics to exert control over noncitizens, and especially Mexicans.” Later, the Bracero agricultural workers who’d been welcomed during the war were scapegoated, culminating in the aggressive “Operation Wetback.” In the mid-20th century, writes the author, “voluntary departure and anti-immigrant fear campaigns became the dominant mechanisms of expulsion.” With so-called voluntary departures, “there were no bureaucratic hoops to jump through.” A lack of transparency about official practices has always been a problem. Goodman notes that “immigration historians know little about how authorities have forcibly removed people, and even less about the US government contracting private companies to effect expulsions.” He explores how return migration provided profitability to steamship companies followed by private aviation and even Greyhound buses; even in the 1950s, conditions aboard ships were so vile that detainees mutinied. The author also argues that manufactured border crises, abetted by sensationalist media, caused expulsion rates to begin climbing during the 1960s, and he notes that “INS also ramped up neighborhood and workplace raids,” a harbinger of today’s militarized borders and mass-incarceration approach. Goodman’s writing can be dry, but he confidently handles arcane historical details and a volatile subject.

A well-researched historical discussion with clear current relevance. (b/w tables, graphs, photos)

Kirkus Reviews

Robert Fass’s deliberately paced narration is appropriate for this audiobook as the outrageous history it recounts does not need much help to spark a reaction from the listener. This is the story of the United States’ treatment of immigrants over the years, and it’s not a pretty one. There have been expulsions, criminalizations, racism, detentions, brutality, and exploitation done in the name of and with the blessing of the federal government. Goodman traces individual events and policies, emphasizing their impact on real human beings. Fass is sometimes rhythmic in his delivery and can on occasion elongate pauses or consonants. His overall performance is fairly understated; it’s a suitably unobtrusive support for this painful and shameful story. G.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile

Robert Fass’s deliberately paced narration is appropriate for this audiobook as the outrageous history it recounts does not need much help to spark a reaction from the listener. This is the story of the United States’ treatment of immigrants over the years, and it’s not a pretty one. There have been expulsions, criminalizations, racism, detentions, brutality, and exploitation done in the name of and with the blessing of the federal government. Goodman traces individual events and policies, emphasizing their impact on real human beings. Fass is sometimes rhythmic in his delivery and can on occasion elongate pauses or consonants. His overall performance is fairly understated; it’s a suitably unobtrusive support for this painful and shameful story. G.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile