E‐Verify Mandates and Voting Behavior of Naturalized Citizens in the United States

ABSTRACT In recent decades, there has been a toughening of immigration enforcement in the United States. One of the major initiatives is E‐Verify mandates, which require some or all employers to check the work eligibility of new hires. This study examines the impact of E‐Verify mandates on the voting propensity of naturalized citizens. Using a difference‐in‐differences strategy that exploits the temporal and geographical variation in the implementation of the mandates across US states, the results of the analysis indicate a temporary rise in the likelihood of a naturalized citizen reporting that they voted in the most recent November election. This finding suggests that immigration enforcement policies directed at undocumented migrants may generate political responses from other migrant groups who are not directly targeted by them.