Mirian Martinez-Aranda
  • August 20, 2026

  • Funded by The Mellon Foundation through the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, findings will contribute to her book, Fragile Freedom: Life After Immigration Detention

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Understanding the enduring impact of immigration detention is the focus of a new Mellon Foundation-funded fellowship supporting  UC Irvine sociology assistant professor Mirian Martinez-Aranda in the development of her book manuscript.

“There are over 70,000 people in immigration detention today,” she says. “We know that these detainees lack access to basic civil rights and are often treated cruelly. Yet, we know very little about how formerly detained immigrants navigate life after detention while under continued surveillance, or how enforcement policies impact families and communities long after detention ends.”

Drawing on ethnographic observations and in-depth interviews with formerly detained immigrants and their families, Martinez-Aranda will provide substantive documentation of the long-term physical, social and emotional effects that follow detention.

"My initial analysis reveals that the omnipresent threat of deportation creates a unique form of extended punishment, similar to yet distinct from the broader carceral system," she says. "It makes a compelling case for dismantling the punitive framework of immigration enforcement in favor of policies that prioritize humanity and compassion."

Funding for this work is provided by The Mellon Foundation through the Institute for Citizens & Scholars Career Enhancement Fellowship which supports travel, research and attendance at the institute’s annual retreat. Funding began in June and runs through December 2027.

 

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