Details, Discrimination, and Donald: Review of Week 3

Anthony A -

Good evening everyone. I want to share with you the progress I made last week and how I plan to move forward with my project.

Firstly, I had the pleasure of meeting with Dr. Kearl, Therese Bunyi, and Erin Russel to discuss our projects and papers. What I took away from that meeting was that I wanted to put greater effort into the details surrounding the construction of my paper and final policy recommendations. Although I was not able to meet with my On-Site mentor Professor Braithwaite this week, I am confident that meeting with him will help me identify where and how to take my research to the next level.

Speaking of Professor Braithwaite I wanted to dive deeper into what exactly I am doing with him and the Florence Project. There are various documents between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its various agencies and the Florence Project. (As a reminder, the Florence Project is a local non-profit that advocates for immigrant communities in Arizona). My role is to analyze these documents, develop an understanding of the requests and arguments made by both the Florence Project and the DHS, and then in concise policy briefings to Professor Braithwaite and the Florence Project, discuss what each party is doing and how they are referencing federal law and procedure. The document I am working on currently concerns discriminatory practices of the DHS and how they harm migrants; particularly Black and South Asian children. What I find particularly compelling about this experience is that simultaneously allows me to develop the analytical skills needed to conduct my senior research project, prepares me for a career in political science and law, and positions me to advance justice in our local community. I look forward to sharing with you what future progress I make.

Finally, as I mentioned last week I have recently begun working at the Pima County Attorney’s Office (PCAO). I wanted to highlight a significant assignment I was given and how it relates to my project. I was recently asked to search through the recent executive orders issued by the Trump Administration and assess how they may impact procedural guidelines related to COVID-19 and public health more broadly. The reason why I share this experience is because it underscores the immense role the actions of the Trump administration have had on my research project and the academic and professional spaces I am in. In the future, I hope to integrate subnational responses to the Trump administration in my research.

Stay tuned next week as (fingers crossed) I meet with Professor Braithwaite and continue my research!

P.S.: Here is a picture of the view at the PCAO which I hope you will enjoy.

-Anthony Akator Jr.

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Comments:

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    therese_b
    Good job on this week's progress, TJ! It is quite interesting how your project is situated between two completely different American political landscapes, and I wish you the best in conducting your research!
    March 3, 2025 at 10:29 am - Reply
    erin_r
    Hi TJ, it was great to meet you last thursday to talk about your projects! I was wondering how specifically you think that your experience with the Florence Project and your position at the PCAO has informed your research on how sub-national actors can affect international relations? Keep up the great work! - Erin
    March 3, 2025 at 12:21 pm - Reply
    anthony_a
    Thank you for your support, Therese!
    March 3, 2025 at 1:27 pm - Reply
    emilyh
    Hello TJ! This is such an exciting update! It’s amazing to see how your work is coming together, especially with the Florence Project and PCAO. Can’t wait to hear how your meeting with Professor Braithwaite goees Keep up the great work!
    March 3, 2025 at 2:00 pm - Reply
    anthony_a
    Hey Erin, it was great hearing from you this week. To answer your question, I have two main takeaways from my experience with the PCAO and the Florence Project. 1. Subnational actors can act as an accountability and stabilizing mechanism in reaction to federal action. The federal government will continue to exercise enormous power in setting foreign policy. That being said, subnational entities can not only bolster federal policymaking but also hold the federal government accountable for their actions. 2. Subnational actors are not uniform. My experience at the PCAO and Florence Project has exposed the fact that subnational actors, whether they be state and local governments, universities, or non-profits each advocate for their interests. I would argue that to develop a more robust foreign policy we must devote far more scholarship to the study of local politics and power dynamics.
    March 3, 2025 at 3:06 pm - Reply
    anthony_a
    Thank you so much, Emily!
    March 3, 2025 at 3:07 pm - Reply
    josephine_j
    Amazing research TJ! Can I ask more specifically about the executive orders the Trump administration has made to impact COVID-19 restrictions?
    March 3, 2025 at 5:30 pm - Reply
    anthony_a
    Hey Josie, hope you are doing well. The Trump administration rescinded all Biden-era policies concerning COVID and is currently moving to reintegrate individuals who resisted vaccination back into the federal workforce and developing a more antagonistic relationship with much of the public health establishment. (Examples: RFK Jr. Confirmation, freezing of NIH funding, pausing international HIV treatments, etc.)
    March 4, 2025 at 4:59 pm - Reply

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