Michele Waslin

Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator, Institute for Immigration Research

Michele Waslin is Program Coordinator at the Institute for Immigration Research. In her role, Waslin tracks and analyzes immigration research and policy, writes on related topics, coordinates the work of the IIR, and builds relationships with academics and other experts. Waslin has written extensively on immigration policy, has authored multiple book chapters and publications, and has appeared in English- and Spanish-language media. Prior to joining the IIR, she was a senior policy analyst at the American Immigration Council. Before that, Michele was the Manager of the Immigration and the States project at the Pew Charitable Trusts and was director of immigration policy research at UnidosUS (previously the National Council of La Raza). Ms. Waslin holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Creighton University, a Master's Degree in International Relations from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Government and International Studies from the University of Notre Dame.

Selected Publications

“Driving While Immigrant: Driver’s License Policy and Immigration Enforcement.” in Daniel Stageman, David Brotherton, and Shirley Leyro, ed. Outside Justice and the Criminalizing Impact of Policy and Practice. New York: Springer. (2013).

“Driver’s Licenses.” In Judith Gans, Elaine M. Replogle, and Daniel J. Tichenor, eds. Debates on U.S. Immigration. Los Angeles: Sage Reference. (2012).

“The Impact of Immigration Enforcement Outsourcing on ICE Priorities.” In Maria Joao Guia, Maartje van der Woude, and Joanne van der Leun, eds. Social Control and Justice: Crimmigration in the Age of Fear. The Hague: Eleven International Publishing. (2012).

“Immigration enforcement by state and local police: The impact on the enforcers and their communities.” In Monica Varsanyi, ed. Taking Local Control: Immigration Policy Activism in U.S. Cities and States. Stanford: Stanford University Press. (2010).

Expanded Publication List

“Deciding Who Drives: State choices surrounding unauthorized immigrants and driver’s licenses,” The Pew Charitable Trusts, August 2015. (with the Immigration and the States team)

“Immigration Enforcement Along U.S. Borders and at Ports of Entry: Federal, state, and local efforts,” The Pew Charitable Trusts, February 2015. (with the Immigration and the States team)

“Immigration and Legalization: Roles and Responsibilities of States and Localities,” The Pew Charitable Trusts, April 2014. (with the Immigration and the States team)

ICE’s Enforcement Priorities and the Factors that Undermine Them. Immigration Policy Center Special Report (November 2010).

The Secure Communities Program: Unanswered Questions and Continuing Concerns. Immigration Policy Center Special Report. (updated November 2011).

“Immigration Policy and the Latino Community Since 9/11” In Gary Freeman, David Leal, and Terri Givens, eds. Immigration and Refugee Policy in a Post-9/11 World. New York: (2009).

“Immigration Enforcement by State and Local Police: The Impact on the Civil Rights of Latinos” in Law Enforcement Executive Forum. (November 2007).

Education

University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana

Ph.D., Government and International Relations, May 2002

University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

Master of Arts, International Relations, 1993

Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, 1990.