David Cortez

David Cortez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame's College of Arts and Letters, with affiliations in Latinx studies. His research examines ethnic and racial identity dynamics through the lens of Latinx immigration law enforcement agents' experiences.

• Racial and Ethnic (Latinx) Politics
• Social Identity
• (Im)migration
• Criminal Justice
• Street-Level Bureaucracy

His recent publications analyze Latinx agents' negotiation of identity salience across institutional and community contexts, with fieldwork conducted in Texas, Arizona, and California. Articles focus on topics like institutional contradictions, cultural duality, and policy embodiment.

• American Political Science Association Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Alumnus
• National Science Foundation Grant Recipient
• American Political Science Association Minority Fellowship Awardee

Supported by prestigious grants, Cortez's research has been published in the Annual Review of Sociology. His work bridges political science, sociology, and ethnic studies through ethnographic methodologies.