Angela S. García

Angela S. García is a sociologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago's Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, with Associate Faculty status in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. She holds a PhD and MA in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego, where she remains an External Research Associate with the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies. Her research bridges international migration, law and society, race and ethnicity, urban sociology, and social policy, focusing on how socio-legal contexts shape undocumented immigrants' lives across the U.S., Mexico, and Spain.

Her work explores the impacts of local immigration laws and executive administrative actions on immigrants' political engagement, social incorporation, and well-being. She has authored influential publications in journals such as Social Problems, International Migration Review, and Ethnic and Racial Studies, culminating in her award-winning book Legal Passing: Navigating Undocumented Life and Local Immigration Law (University of California Press, 2019). Her research has been recognized by the American Sociological Association and the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, and cited in U.S. Supreme Court amicus briefs. As a Faculty Affiliate at multiple University of Chicago centers (Center for Latin American Studies, Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, Katz Center for Mexican Studies, etc.), she contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives on migration, equity, and policy. Her teaching emphasizes social policy, immigration, governance, and research methods, fostering student empowerment and critical analysis.