Tensions at the borders in the U.S. and the E.U.: the quest for state distinctiveness and immigrant inclusion

The article examines how a push for federal or union rule in immigration matters, by prompting a reallocation of the power to decide on admission, treatment and naturalization of immigrants between center and periphery, creates a potential tension in both the European Union and the United States between the competing interests of state subunits in distinctiveness and of immigrants in inclusion. This article highlights this tension as an entry point to open up and assess intentions, priorities, and outcomes in E.U. and U.S. immigration and citizenship policy. It argues that the policies accommodate competing interests in different ways, and it questions the reasons and consequences for different approaches. Ultimately, it finds that a similar pursuit of national distinctiveness orients citizenship and immigration policies in both the E.U. and the U.S.