Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Amin Asfari

Abstract

There is little information on the increase in far-right extremist influence on policymakers’ ideology that affect immigration law. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how far-right extremists influence American policymakers in supporting the perspective that immigrants are replacing White Americans and how that affects non-White and/or non-Christian immigration. The framework for this study was based on policy feedback theory by Mettler and SoRelle. Research questions focused on federal legislation that supports anti-immigration between 2017 and 2021 and far-right extremist ideology. Document analysis was done through purposive sampling to select public records of individuals, groups, and laws. Data were collected from these public documents and records (e.g., federal laws, media, social media, speeches, and videos) and then managed by using NVivo software. Data were analyzed from these secondary sources using concept coding and categorized for thematic analysis within NVivo software. The results found far-right ideological stances in policy and the impact made on non-White and non-Christian immigrants attempting to come to the United States or once in the country. Implications for positive social change include informing public policy decision makers to formulate and/or change policies on the influence far-right extremists have on American immigration policy in conjunction with how those policies impact the lives of non-White and non-Christian immigrants coming to and living in the United States.

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