Date of Conferral

12-4-2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Criminal Justice

Advisor

Dr. Kimberley Blackmon

Abstract

The purpose of the quantitative causal-comparative study was to examine the extent to which undocumented Hispanic immigrants in the United States trust municipal law enforcement differently based on whether they live in a sanctuary city or a non-sanctuary city. The research question (RQ) asks if there are significant differences in trust in municipal law enforcement among undocumented Hispanic immigrants in sanctuary cities compared to non-sanctuary cities. The Narrative Policy Framework was the theoretical foundation for the study. The study occurred in sanctuary cities and non-sanctuary cities. Sanctuary city status was the independent variable in the RQ, reflecting the self-identification of the city where a given participant lives. Trust in municipal law enforcement was the dependent variable in the RQ, measured using a 13-item trust in municipal law enforcement scale. A total of 287 cross-sectional surveys were collected. Due to the non-normal distribution of data, two non-parametric tests were performed, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis. Both tests revealed there are statistically significant differences in trust in municipal law enforcement among undocumented Hispanic immigrants in sanctuary cities compared to non-sanctuary cities. Future research could focus on other ethnic groups and increase the controls of internal validity to test future hypotheses with a parametric test. The findings support the efforts for positive social change by emphasizing the importance of community policing and fostering direct, respectful interactions with undocumented Hispanics, regardless of sanctuary status.

Download

Included in

Criminology Commons

Share

 
COinS