The states government’s reaction to Donald Trump’s immigratory policy

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the strong opposition and tensions between subnational governments, more specifically the states, and the federal government in the United States, on the theme of immigration. We will argue that the current American political situation, marked by a strong institutional crisis since the beginning of the Donald Trump administration, contributes to dimensioning tensions that already exist in the country’s federal pact. This happens, first, due to the institutional design of the United States, characterized by a federalism that is sometimes cooperative, sometimes dual. However, the issue gains new proportions with the Trump administration, due in large part to the anti-immigration speech that stood out on the current president’s agenda, even before his election. As a reflection of this, the sanctuary cities gain prominence when they organize themselves to face the executive orders and other measures that target immigrants, either through the elaboration of local policies or judicial disputes, thus contributing to the reheating of debates both on the pact the United States, as for the impacts generated by political-party polarization.