ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses, from a social justice perspective, issues pertaining to voluntary undocumented immigrants who enter the United States. Throughout the first sections of this chapter, it is made clear that United States policy and response to immigrating populations from Mexico and further south utilizes a unique application of civil law proceedings that simultaneously appear to integrate elements of criminal law and criminal response, as seen fit by United States officials. This has led to disparities in treatment and misguided outcomes for agencies tasked with addressing immigration issues in the United States. Further, the notion of social justice does not seem to exist for those individuals who have come from areas south of the United States when compared to other immigrants, with emergency circumstances and refugee status being denied to children and others who have fled dangerous circumstances. Last, the notion of social justice that equally applies to both economic wealth and life opportunities is presented, along with prior research and political thought from the European continent on the relationship between social justice and immigration policy.
