Wyoming Star News Quotes Professor Aldana on State Following Federal Immigration Playbook

Professor Raquel Aldana spoke to the Wyoming Star News for an Aug. 18 analysis of the debate over Gov. Mark Gordon’s decision to align with federal authorities’ immigration enforcement strategies.

Aldana told the Star that Gordon’s activation of National Guard troops to assist ICE inside Wyoming raises questions abut Wyoming law that limits how the Guard can be used in domestic law enforcement.

“There is no emergency in Wyoming that warrants the governor deciding to call forth the National Guard in this way,” Aldana said. “This violates state law and may be challenged in court as will the likelihood that raids will lead to racial and other types of unconstitutional profiling.”

Raquel E. Aldana joined UC Davis in 2017 to serve as the inaugural Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Diversity and returned to full-time law teaching in 2020. Aldana’s research has focused on transitional justice, criminal justice reforms and sustainable development in Latin America, as well as immigrant rights. She has authored or edited five books and published over 30 law review articles or book chapters. She is a graduate of Arizona State University and Harvard Law School.