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Nancy HiemstraAssociate Professor, Director of Undergraduate StudiesWomen'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 2025 co-authored (with Dr. Deirdre Conlon, Leeds University) book, Immigration Detention Inc: The Big Business of Locking Up Migrants, focuses on the industries and money-making opportunities linked to the operation of immigration detention facilities. Her 2019 book, Detain and Deport: The Chaotic U.S. Immigration Enforcement Regime, details the history, operation, and rationales of the U.S. detention and deportation system, and its consequences in Ecuador.
- 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
July 28, 2025People Will Die at Alligator Alcatraz | OpinionNewsweekRead ArticleJune 26, 2025Listen to Nancy Hiemstra and Deirdre Conlon Discuss Their New Book: "Immigration Detention
Inc."Austin KocherRead ArticleJanuary 24, 2025Trump utilizes emergency powers on deportations but will need Congress' help for moreThe National News DeskRead ArticleApril 26, 2025"Understanding Reproduction in Social Contexts"Caitlin Killian/"Player FM"Read ArticleApril 1, 2024How imagery of White women victims is being used to stoke anti-immigrant fearTucson SentinelRead Article