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      Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

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Home / Amada Armenta
Amada
  • Urban Planning

Amada Armenta

Associate Professor of Urban Planning

Amada Armenta’s research examines the connections between the immigration enforcement system and the criminal justice system, and the implications of this connection for immigrants, bureaucracies, and cities.

Her award-winning book, “Protect Serve and Deport: The Rise of Policing as Immigration Enforcement” (University of California Press, 2017), analyzes the role of local law enforcement agencies in immigration enforcement in Nashville, Tennessee. Currently, she is working on her second book project, an examination of the legal attitudes of unauthorized Mexican immigrants in Philadelphia.

Dr. Armenta’s research has been published in journals of sociology, law and society, and policy. She has received research funding from the American Sociological Association, the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Criminology, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Prior to joining Luskin as a faculty member, she was an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Read More

Educational Background

  • MA and Ph.D., sociology, UCLA
  • BA, political science, Rice University

Areas of Expertise

  • Bureaucracies, Criminal Justice, Immigration, Law and Society, Qualitative Methods, Race and Ethnicity

Latest News

boarded up commercial district
Ongoing Toll of ICE Raids on L.A.’s Latino Businesses
July 24, 2026

New study led by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute measures costs and consequences of immigration enforcement in L.A. Angeles County.

Los Angeles City Council Meeting on May 8, a speaker presents José Loya and Amada Armenta with their "impactful chicanos" award at City Hall.|Two photos next to each other, on the left is Jose Loya and Amada Armenta holding up their "Impactful Chicanos" awards inside City Hall, the photo on the right is of Jose and Amada standing next to a framed illustration of UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
Amada Armenta and José Loya Honored by Los Angeles City Council
May 15, 2026

Los Angeles City Council recognized Amada Armenta and José Loya during its “Impactful Chicanos in America” celebration.

Latest News

Armenta on Congress’ New Immigration Bills

February 4, 2025

Enforcement policies use vast resources to symbolically show that the government is "doing something" about immigration, UCLA Luskin expert says.

two adults and an infant sit in chairs at an orientation for new immigrants

Experts Say U.S. Labor Force Needs More Foreign-Born Workers, not Fewer

July 23, 2024

UCLA Luskin scholar Amada Armenta says that American immigration policy "has been really mired in dysfunction for decades."

Table with four people with microphones

UCLA’s Latino Policy and Politics Institute Hosts Briefing in State Capital

May 28, 2024

LPPI research informs targeted and data-driven policy interventions that shines a light on communities that are too often ignored," says Amada Armenta, associate faculty director.

Armenta on Repercussions of ICE Collaboration Programs

August 31, 2021

Many undocumented immigrants choose not to call local police, even to report crimes, out of fear of deportation.

Armenta on Enforcing Accountability With Body Cameras

August 11, 2021

Border Patrol agents and officers will be responsible for activating their own body cameras while patrolling U.S. borders amid questions about accountability and privacy.

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Contact Information

Email

armenta@ucla.edu

Office Location

5355, Public Affairs

Media Contact

For media inquiries, contact Kate Shirley at kshirley@luskin.ucla.edu (email preferred) or 310-206-5252.

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  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
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  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP)
  • Master of Real Estate Development (MRED)
  • Master of Social Welfare (MSW)
  • Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP)
  • PhD in Social Welfare
  • PhD in Urban Planning
Undergraduate Programs
  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
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  • BA in Public Affairs
  • Minor in Urban and Regional Studies
  • Minor in Gerontology
  • Minor in Public Affairs
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  • Data Analytics Certificate
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Program Specific Admissions
  • Public Policy
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  • Urban Planning
  • Undergraduate Program
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Leadership
  • Our Dean
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Research Centers
  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Agile Visual Analytics Lab (AVAL):

    Uses data visualization to improve decision-making for family and child services.

  • Berggruen Governance Index

    Evaluates the quality of political governance and democracy worldwide.

  • Center for Neighborhood Knowledge (CNK)

    Specializes in spatial analysis of socioeconomic disparities in neighborhoods.

  • Center for Policy Research on Aging (CPRA)

    Explores the societal and policy implications of an aging population.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS)

    A national leader in transportation policy and mobility research.

  • Institute on Inequality and Democracy

    Advances scholarship addressing displacement and dispossession in Los Angeles and beyond.

  • Latin American Cities Initiative

    Connects urban planning and policy networks across the Americas.

  • Latino Policy & Politics Institute (LPPI)

    Addresses policy challenges facing Latinos and communities of color.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

  • Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies

    Researches housing, transportation, and economic development in Southern California.

  • Los Angeles Education Research Institute (LAERI)

    Collaborates with schools to improve educational outcomes for L.A. students.

  • Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI)

    Focuses on environmental policy, clean energy, and climate justice.

  • UCLA Voting Rights Project

    The flagship project for voting rights litigation and policy research.

All Research Centers
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