S. Deborah Kang is associate professor of history and John L. Nau III Associate Professor of the History and Principles of Democracy in the Corcoran Department of History and the Karsh Institute of Democracy at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on both the historical and contemporary aspects of US immigration and border policy.

Kang’s first book, “The INS on the Line: Making Immigration Law on the US-Mexico Border, 1917-1954” (Oxford University Press, 2017) traces the history of US immigration agencies on the US-Mexico border and earned several awards and accolades, including the Henry Adams Prize from the Society for History in the Federal Government.

Her second book is a history of US immigration legalization policies from the early 20th century to the present. With Danielle Battisti, she is also co-editing an anthology, “Hidden Histories: Unauthorized European Immigrants in the United States” (University of Illinois Press). Kang also serves as a consultant for federal public defender offices throughout the country, preparing research briefs on the racial animus that informed the passage of laws criminalizing undocumented immigration.