Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh is an Associate Policy Analyst with MPI's U.S. Immigration Policy Program, where she examines trends and policies on the U.S.-Mexico border and analyzes implications of federal policy changes on immigrants and the immigration system. Her research involves engaging with local, state, and federal stakeholders on issues of border management, interior enforcement, and immigrant access to services. She also focuses on the use of technology in enforcement, throughout the legal immigration system, and in border security.
Previously, Ms. Putzel-Kavanaugh spent three years in San Diego, conducting research and working with asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, and interned with the Bipartisan Policy Center, the office of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and Al Otro Lado. Prior to her work as a researcher, she was a 7th and 8th grade teacher.
Ms. Putzel-Kavanaugh holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Assumption College and a master’s of peace and justice degree from the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, where she focused on human rights, immigration, and corruption.
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Explore Content by Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh
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From Last Resort to Intimidating Enforcement Tool: Denaturalization in the Trump Era
The Trump administration is looking to sharply expand denaturalization, which has been historically rare, by using quotas, instituting new priorities, and broadening its targeting.
Though Rare, Birth Tourism to the United States Sparks Outsized Concern
While rare, birth tourism has become a central but contested justification in the Trump administration's push to end the guarantee of birthright citizenship.
The Trump Administration’s Immigration Policies Encounter Resistance in the Courts
Federal courts have become a key check on the Trump administration’s second-term immigration agenda, frequently halting or narrowing marquee policies.
Beyond “Shock and Awe”: Immigration Actions in the First Year under Trump 2.0
Analysts assessed the sweeping immigration enforcement actions, executive orders, and legal challenges marking Trump's second term's first year.
Unleashing Power in New Ways: Immigration in the First Year of Trump 2.0
The Trump second-term immigration overhaul—500-plus policy actions in the first year, record enforcement, and sweeping legal rollbacks—is reshaping who is welcome in America.
Employment Verification: The Next Front for U.S. Immigration Enforcement?
E-Verify covers just 14 percent of U.S. employers after nearly 30 years. There are patchwork state rules for the system, which authenticates an individual’s right to lawfully work in the United States, and enforcement has focused on workers over businesses.
Maine’s Immigrant Communities: Diverse Origins, Characteristics, and Challenges
Maine’s small but growing immigrant population, with many from Africa, Asia, and Canada, is vital to the state workforce yet still face barriers in housing, language, and access to benefits.
All in for a Thriving Connecticut: Opportunities to Support Upward Mobility for the State’s Immigrant Families
With immigrants driving all population growth since 2006, Connecticut has opportunities to promote the upward mobility of immigrant families for overall societal benefit.
Can the Trump Administration’s “Self-Deportation” Campaign Succeed?
The Trump administration's “self-deportation” campaign pairs incentives for immigrants to leave with threats of steep fines and arrests for staying. Historical precedents suggest limited voluntary uptake.
Can Near-Historic Low Migrant Encounter Levels at the U.S.-Mexico Border Be Sustained?
Migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to lows not seen since the 1960s. But can this trend continue amid a sharp policy shift to a deterrence-focused approach, setting aside a carrot-and-stick migration management strategy? This short read looks at the evidence.
