J.C. Salyer, "Court of Injustice: Law Without Recognition in U.S. Immigration" (Stanford UP, 2020)
J.C. Salyer\u2019s\xa0Court of Injustice: Law Without Recognition in U.S. Immigration\xa0(Stanford UP, 2020)\xa0is an important look at the histories and processes of immigration law in the US. The book engages with US immigration policy by both tracing the history of US immigration law in the US and considering contemporary practices. Not just a history of law or assessment of policy,\xa0Court of Injustice\xa0is ethnographically grounded in New York City immigration courts, as well as the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project (NYIFUP). Salyer\u2019s work shifts in scope\u2014from past to present, from New York City to the whole of the U.S, from theoretical considerations of nation-state sovereignty to individual experiences of immigration law\u2014in a way that masterfully paints a compelling portrait of the US immigration courts. By considering context alongside contemporary practice,\xa0Court of Injustice\xa0provides a way to think through the threads of migration, geography, and xenophobia alongside arguing for concrete ways the under-resourced US immigration courts could change to provide more just outcomes.\nThroughout the book, Salyer considers not just the experiences of immigrants with immigration law, but also how immigration lawyers come to understand immigration courts. Additionally,\xa0Court of Injustice\xa0links past to present, and provides a needed context that clearly demonstrates that contemporary shifts in US immigration law\u2014including those under the Trump administration\u2014are not something new, but part of a long history that includes the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), and other policies that sought to limit migration to the US and \u201cthicken\u201d the US border. Salyer\u2019s socioeconomic history of immigration courts in the U.S. would be of great interest to a wide readership, from those studying migration academically to non-academic members of the public seeking a more in-depth understanding of U.S. immigration policy.\nRine Vieth\xa0is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at McGill University, where they research the how UK asylum tribunals consider claims of belief.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices\nSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/law