A comparison of migration policies of the George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump administrations from the perspective of securitization theory

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Uluslararası İlişkiler A.B.D., Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2025

Tezin Dili: İngilizce

Öğrenci: ALANUR YAZICI

Danışman: Kadri Kaan Renda

Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu

Özet:

This thesis analyses the immigration policies of the U.S. through the lens of securitization theory, specifically focusing on two Republican administrations: the George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Donald Trump (2017-2021) Administrations. The securitization theory posits that framing immigration through the speech acts as a threat to national security will eventually lead to the elevation of the phenomenon from a "low-priority political concern" to a "high-priority issue," which also demands immediate action. Within this framework, the measures undertaken by these two Republican Presidents, supposedly to safeguard U.S. national security and protect the nation from security threats, are analyzed with a particular focus on immigration. The main research question of this thesis is "How did George W. Bush and Donald Trump produce securitizing discourses on immigration during their presidency in the post-September 11 era?" The legal and normative underpinnings of U.S. immigration policy (including legislations on counter-terrorism and border protection) were significantly fortified in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks under the rubric of a state of emergency. By comparing and contrasting the rhetoric and policies employed by both presidents, this study aims to explore and explain the differences and similarities in the discourses of the two Republican presidents on immigration from the perspective of securitization theory.