Legal violence

After reading Menjvar and Abregos article, reflect on how the concept of legal violence helps us understand the lived experiences of undocumented immigrants (and maybe even their citizen family) in the United States.In your response (minimum 350 words), address the following questions:
- How do Menjvar and Abrego define legal violence? What distinguishes it from other forms of violence or structural inequality?
- What examples from the reading illustrate how immigration laws shape everyday life for undocumented individuals and mixed-status families?
- How does the concept of legal violence change the way we think about immigration policy and its consequences for communities?
You may also connect the reading to contemporary examples such as immigration enforcement, deportation policies, or the presence of immigration authorities in local communities. Consider how the idea of legal violence helps explain broader social, economic, or emotional impacts beyond the law itself.