Graduation Year
2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Name
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Degree Granting Department
Criminology
Major Professor
Mateus R. Santos, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Chae M. Jaynes, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Michael J. Lynch, Ph.D.
Keywords
Border, Crimmigration, Interior, Magnet, Non-Magnet
Abstract
This thesis examines whether sentence length in federal immigration cases varies by Hispanic race/ethnicity, district type, and the intersection of the two among noncitizen defendants sentenced under Chapter 2L of the United States Sentencing Guidelines. Prior research has identified disparities in federal sentencing tied to race/ethnicity, citizenship status, and geographic context, but less attention has been given to how these factors are connected within immigration cases. The analysis uses individual-level case data for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 from the United States Sentencing Commission, analyzing 14,354 noncitizen defendants sentenced for immigration-related offenses in federal courts across the contiguous United States. Sentence length, measured in months, is modeled using negative binomial regression. The models estimate the relationship between Hispanic race/ethnicity and sentence length while controlling for demographic and legally relevant case characteristics, and include a four-category district classification distinguishing border magnet, interior magnet, border non-magnet, and interior non-magnet states. The results reveal that differences in sentence length by race/ethnicity largely decrease after legal factors are added to the models; however, non-Hispanic White defendants receive shorter sentences than Hispanic defendants in the fully adjusted model. Overall differences across state types are limited/weak, although sentences are significantly shorter in border non-magnet states relative to interior non-magnet states. The interaction between Hispanic race/ethnicity and district type is not statistically significant. Ultimately, legally relevant factors are responsible for most of the variation in sentence length, though some differences remain. These findings show that, while legal factors allow for sentencing outcomes to remain fairly consistent across the board, they are not entirely uniform, and some disparities remain.
Scholar Commons Citation
Pagano, Paige S., "Coloring Outside the (Guide)lines: Hispanic Race/Ethnicity, District Types, and Sentencing Outcomes in Immigration Offense Cases for Noncitizen Defendants" (2026). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/11381
