Pathogenic Policing: Immigration Enforcement and Health in the U.S. South

Medical Anthropology

by Nolan Kline

The relationship between undocumented immigrants and law enforcement officials continues to be a politically contentious topic in the United States. Nolan Kline focuses on the hidden, health-related impacts of immigrant policing to examine the role of policy in shaping health inequality in the U.S., and responds to fundamental questions regarding biopolitics, especially how policy can reinforce ‘race’ as a vehicle of social division. He argues that immigration enforcement policy results in a shadow medical system, shapes immigrants’ health and interpersonal relationships, and has health-related impacts that extend beyond immigrants to affect health providers, immigrant rights groups, hospitals, and the overall health system. Pathogenic Policing follows current immigrant policing regimes in Georgia and contextualizes contemporary legislation and law enforcement practices against a backdrop of historical forms of political exclusion from health and social services for all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. For anyone concerned about the health of the most vulnerable among us, and those who interact with the overall health safety net, this will be an eye-opening read.

Genres: Anthropology

232 pages, Hardcover

Published July 12, 2019

Reviews

[Ashton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The health - individual, community, mental, etc. - of immigrant youth and their families have direct effects on their abilities to thrive in the U.S. As such, Kline's connections between health care provision, police systems, and immigration reveal critical needs in facilitating improved systems and improved integration.

[Kalea · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book altered my brain chemistry. and i had an entire conversation with AI to talk about my thoughts related to immigration policies after reading this.

thank you Dr. Kline for this INCREDIBLE work