Stony Brook Faculty Directory
Nancy HiemstraAssociate ProfessorWomen's‚ Gender‚ and Sexuality StudiesCollege of Arts and Sciences
Biography
Nancy Hiemstra is a political geographer whose research focuses on U.S. immigration
enforcement policies. In particular, she studies:
- U.S. detention and deportation - Hiemstra's 2019 book, Detain and Deport: The Chaotic U.S. Immigration Enforcement Regime, details the history, operation, and effectiveness of the U.S. detention and deportation system, and its consequences in Ecuador. Another ongoing project (with Dr. Deirdre Conlon, Leeds University), focuses on the industries and money-making opportunities linked to the operation of immigration detention facilities. Hiemstra and Conlon's co-authored book, Immigration Detention Inc: The Big Business of Locking Up Migrants, is forthcoming with Pluto Press.
- Consequences of U.S immigration enforcement policies in Latin America - Hiemstra traces the influence and intervention of the U.S. government in Latin American policies and practices regarding immigration enforcement and U.S.-bound migrants.
- Patterns and causes of Latin American immigration, with special expertise on Ecuador.
- Narratives / discourses around immigration in U.S. politics and public life
She is a member of the Scholar Strategy Network.
Education
- PhD, Maxwell School, Syracuse University
- MA, University of Oregon
- BA, University of Virginia
News Highlights
January 24, 2025Trump utilizes emergency powers on deportations but will need Congress' help for moreThe National News DeskRead ArticleApril 1, 2024How imagery of White women victims is being used to stoke anti-immigrant fearTucson SentinelRead ArticleMay 13, 2022How subcontracting key services leads to the entrenchment of urban immigration detention
in many US communitiesUnited States Politics and PolicyRead ArticleJanuary 16, 2021Attorneys and advocates glad Trump immigration policies coming to endNewsdayRead ArticleJuly 6, 2020In Leadville, Coronavirus Closures Expose Economy InequityUS News & World Report/APRead Article