Inequality Inquiry >> Category

Punishment or “Protection”? The Case Challenging Racialized Homelessness Nationwide

April 7, 2025

By: Noelle Sperrazza, Volume 43 Note & Comment Editor  View/Download PDF Version: Punishment or “Protection”? The Case Challenging Racialized Homelessness Nationwide (Sperrazza) Homelessness is one of the most prominent, urgent, and ever-growing crises in America today. As of 2023, roughly 653,100 people in the United States were experiencing homelessness on any given night.[1] Rising housing costs,…

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The Deportation Marketplace: The Unethical and Potentially Illegal Deal with El Salvador’s Mega-Prison

April 1, 2025

By: Jane Genske, Volume 43 Staff Member View/Download PDF Version: The Deportation Marketplace (Genske) The outsourcing of asylum responsibilities by wealthier nations through financial incentives—often termed “the commodification of refugees”—is not a new phenomenon. Countries have long paid others to accept and detain migrants, effectively shifting their obligations elsewhere. A recent agreement between the United…

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Minneapolis Organization Spotlight: New Justice Project MN

April 11, 2025

By: Fariza Hassan, Volume 43 Editor-in-Chief View/Download PDF Version: Minneapolis Organization Spotlight – New Justice Project MN (Hassan) During a long-time friend’s going away picnic at Boom Island Park earlier this summer, we noticed that under the nearby chateau was a lively group hosting some sort of celebratory, yet informative, event. While we reminisced our stories…

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“Words Written on Water”—Targeted Immigration Enforcement Under the Trump Administration

January 22, 2026

By: Kaylie Vasquez, Volume 44 Lead Articles Editor View/Download PDF Version: “Words Written on Water”—Targeted Immigration Enforcement Under the Trump Administration (Vasquez)   “America has been a democracy of convenience. Rights are granted to those who align with power. For the poor, for the people of color, for those who resist injustice, rights are but…

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What Happened to Liam? The Detention of Immigrant Youth

March 26, 2026

By: Mary Leniton View/Download PDF Version: What Happened to Liam? The Detention of Immigrant Youth (Leniton) The image of a five-year-old Minnesotan boy standing teary-eyed before federal agents in a blue bunny-eared cap is ingrained in the public’s mind. United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took the boy from a running car. ICE agents…

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