Reexamination of the notion of “illegality” reveals the important role of state in crafting an “illegal” class and opens the way for a structural interpretation of recent Latin American migratory flows to the United States heartland. A case study of the effects of anti-immigrant legislation passed in Oklahoma in 2007 reveals that “getting tough on illegals” can have unintended consequences, causing both illegal and legal migrants to leave the state and diverting attention from issues of wages, organizing rights, and health and safety standards that affect all workers, Latino and other. Extending labor protections to all workers could reduce the incentive to prefer undocumented migrants over U.S. workers.
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