Research Bio

Caitlin Patler is a Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy whose research investigates immigration laws, legal statuses, and law enforcement institutions. She is best known for her longitudinal and mixed-methods studies of immigrant detention and deportation, examining how legal status and criminalization shape life trajectories. She is also well known for her research on undocumented youth and the DACA program.

Patler’s research bridges sociology, law, and policy analysis to illuminate the consequences of contemporary immigration policies and guide the development of more humane and equitable alternatives. Her work contributes to national debates on justice, rights, and belonging.

Patler is affiliated with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI), Berkeley Population Center, Institute for Governmental Studies, and Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. She has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles, including in Demography, Social Forces, and JAMA Network Open, among others. Patler has received awards from the American Sociological Association and funding from the Russell Sage Foundation, Arnold Ventures, and the National Science Foundation. At Berkeley, she teaches courses on US immigration policy and advanced policy analysis.

Research Expertise and Interest

US immigration and criminal laws, immigration, immigration detention, legal statuses, maternal and child health, history of immigration in U.S., population health with focus on social determinants of health