Review
‘In this tour de force, Bill Ong Hing critically analyzes the immigration records of American Presidents from Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump, with a particular focus on the harsh treatment of immigrants during the presidency of Barack Obama; often thought of as a friend of immigrants. With stories of the harsh treatment of the immigrants themselves, American Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations reveals the cruel realities of American immigration policy, which President Trump has taken to new and frightening heights.' Kevin R. Johnson, Dean, University of California, Davis School of Law
‘Through the lens of unaccompanied migrant children experiences, Bill Ong Hing unearths the infrastructure laid out by the previous six presidential administrations on which the Trump administration has built its enforcement policies. In lucid, engaging prose seeped with humanity, Ong Hing makes accessible a wealth of legal knowledge interspersed with vivid stories in the immigrants' own voices, in the process offering possibilities for action. The result is a powerful tour de force that should be of interest to anyone who cares about immigrants, law, and justice. Highly recommended!' Cecilia Menjívar, Dorothy Meier Endowed Chair, Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles
‘Bill Ong Hing's timely work assesses contemporary immigration enforcement policies within a rich historical framework. Lawyers and legal scholars will learn from Ong Hing's expert legal analysis, but his frank prose also ensures that this work will be accessible to scholars across disciplines and to policy makers interested in taking on the injustices of the current system.' Jennifer M. Chacón, Chancellor's Professor of Law, University of Califorania, Irvine School of Law
‘Remarkably knowledgeable about immigration history and on-the-ground practice, Bill Ong Hing lets no one off the hook – not Clinton, not Bush, not Obama, not Trump – for the trauma the US has imposed on immigrants and immigrant communities. Have the courage to read what Ong Hing writes, precisely because you'll feel as enraged as you are sad, perhaps because then we'll rise up to declare the status quo downright immoral, often illegal, and utterly unacceptable.' Gerald P. López, author of Rebellious Lawyering: One Chicano's Vision of Progressive Law Practice
'A timely and invaluable contribution to our national discussion on immigration issues, American Presidents, Deportations, and Human Rights Violations should have as wide a readership as possible.' James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review
‘The book offers a moral urgency about the human rights violations embedded in U.S. immigration policies over the last 50 years. It will resonate within and beyond the academy: for lawyers, law students, political scientists, and policymakers. The book is accessible to college students and advocates.’ Law and Politics Book Review (www.lpbr.net)
Book Description
Discusses how mass detention and deportation of immigrants, has escalated even higher since the Obama and Trump administrations.
About the Author
Bill Ong Hing is Professor of Immigration Policy at the University of San Francisco, School of Law. He is the author of multiple books including, Ethical Borders: NAFTA, Globalization, and Mexican Migration (2010). He is also the lead author of Immigration Law and Social Justice (2017). He was co-counsel in the precedent-setting Supreme Court asylum case, INS v. Cardoza-Fonseca (1987), and represented the State Bar of California in helping to grant a law license to an undocumented law graduate.
