Frontiers of Fear: Immigration and Insecurity in the United States

On both sides of the Atlantic, restrictive immigration policies have been framed as security imperatives since the 1990s. This trend accelerated in the aftermath of 9/11 and subsequent terrorist attacks in Europe. In Frontiers of Fear, Ariane Chebel d’Appollonia raises two central questions with profound consequences for national security and immigration policy: First, does the securitization of immigration issues actually contribute to the enhancement of internal security? Second, does the use of counterterrorist measures address such immigration issues as the increasing number of illegal immigrants, the resilience of ethnic tensions, and the emergence of homegrown radicalization? Chebel d’Appollonia questions the main assumptions that inform political agendas in the United States and throughout Europe, analyzing implementation and evaluating the effectiveness of policies in terms of their stated objectives. She argues that the new security-based immigration regime has proven ineffective in achieving its prescribed goals and even aggravated the problems it was supposed to solve: A security/insecurity cycle has been created that results in less security and less democracy. The excesses of securitization have harmed both immigration and counterterrorist policies and seriously damaged the delicate balance between security and respect for civil liberties.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: The Immigration-Security NexusPart I. The Framing of Immigration as a Security Issue 1. Newcomers, Old Threats, and Current Concerns 2. Securitization before 9/11 3. Securitization after 9/11Part II. The Dynamics of Policy Failure 4. Border Escalation as a Policy Failure 5. The Security/Insecurity Spiral 6. Radicalization in the WestPart III. Why Do Failed Policies Persist? 7. Emigration, Development, and (In)security 8. Immigration, Economic Interests, and PoliticsConclusion: Threats to Western DemocracyList of Abbreviations Notes Index

About the Author :
Ariane Chebel d'Appollonia is Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers-Newark: The State University of New Jersey and Senior Researcher affiliated with the Center for Political Research (CEVIPOF), Sciences Po (Paris). She is the author of several books in French, most recently Les Frontières du Racisme, and coeditor of Managing Ethnic Diversity after 9/11 and Immigration, Integration and Security.

Review :
"Frontiers of Fear tackles issues that are of importance to academics engaged in the study of immigration or security policybut does so in a way clear and accessible enough to engage students and novice readers as well. The author balances theory with painstaking policydataand historical analysisand brings in a global and comparative perspective that is vital for anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of the factors that drive human migration or shape host society responses to it. Finallyfor those who make policy in these areasand for voters asked to evaluate the effectiveness of those policiesthe importance of the questions raised in this book are quite clear." —Jessica Brown (Contemporary Sociology) "The clear and concise writingas well as the engaging way the author approaches the subjectmakes this book appropriate for a wide audienceincluding any undergraduate or graduate seminar related to immigration. Other scholars in political sciencesociologyand law may very well be interested in this volume. It is critical reading for anyone studying migration in any field. Finallyscholars of both United States and European politics and specifically those interested in the development and implementation of legislation would find this a useful addition to their libraries. In sumin an age of increasing migrationthis book is an important reader in understanding how different countries deal with their immigrant populations and what effect that may have on migrantsthe stateand the security of all." —Laura Sellers (AmeriQuests) The securitization of immigration is hardly a novel topic, but it has never been covered this expansively. From a comprehensive perspective, Chebel D'Appollonia examines this securitization and traces its roots to already existing distrust toward foreigners and the 'other,' which had pushed policy in this direction even before 9/11. The analysis is extended to consider various aspects of policy failure—continuously porous borders, heightened perceptions of insecurity, and radicalization among those of immigrant origin—and the politics explaining why such failures have not yielded to other policy options. (Choice) With this book, Ariane Chebel d'Appollonia has created a fine synopsis of the dilemmas surrounding immigration and security policies, accentuating the hazards that Western democracy has faced by putting the need for security ahead of rights. - Barbara Franz (Political Science Quarterly)