Abstract

ARECHIGA, Karen Muro  and  ALARCON, Rafael. Mexicans deported from the United States to Ciudad Juárez for driving under the influence of alcohol. Estud. front [online]. 2021, vol.22, e081.  Epub Apr 04, 2022. ISSN 2395-9134.  https://doi.org/10.21670/ref.2118081.

This article analyzes the legislative, social, and economic factors that explain why a high number of Mexican citizens have been removed from the United States under the accusation of driving a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. To this end, the recent transformation of United States immigration policy is analyzed to examine, through semi-structured interviews, the deportation processes of 23 Mexican men who were expelled to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico accused of this crime in 2019. The findings reveal that the interviewees had different levels of alcohol consumption and that most of them had started this practice in the United States. On the other hand, there is evidence of the leading role of local police officers acting as “immigration police” and that the longer immigrants reside in the United States, the greater their propensity to engage in risky behaviors such as alcohol abuse.

Keywords : migration; deportation; alcoholism; México; United States.