 Elcioglu, Emine Fidan. 2023. "Armed Citizens on the Border: How Guns Fuel Anti-Immigration Politics in America." Social Problems 72(3): 1043-1058.
What do guns have to do with immigration politics? This article shows that, far from being props, firearms are the glue that sustains nativist organizations that operate at the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. Drawing on 20 months of ethnographic research, I reveal how gun shows and shooting ranges double as recruitment hubs, and how the thrill of handling firearms keeps activists engaged even when they know their desert patrols won’t “stop the border.” By tracing these connections, the piece argues that America’s settler-colonial legacy continues to entwine gun culture with nativist politics. Here me discuss these findings on This is Hell Podcast (2023) and Guns Unpacked Podcast (2025). You can also read about my findings on The Trace, an independent investigative outlet dedicated to issues related to gun violence. Comments are closed.
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