Austin Kocher

Austin Kocher is a Research Assistant Professor at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and holds a faculty appointment in the Department of Geography. His research focuses on the political and policy dimensions of U.S. immigration systems, including immigrant policing, detention, deportation, and the intersection of immigration with political polarization. He also serves as a research fellow at American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies and is affiliated with Syracuse’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism, and Citizenship. Kocher earned his Ph.D. in Geography from Ohio State University, with teaching experience at Syracuse, George Washington University, and the University of Michigan.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Geography, Ohio State University

Research Interests:

Kocher’s work bridges legal and political geography to analyze how immigration enforcement shapes marginalized communities. Key themes include:

• Geographies of federal/state/local immigrant policing
• Technological bordering mechanisms (e.g., CBP One)
• Policy impacts on immigrant youth and families
• Critical engagement with sanctuary city dynamics
• Public scholarship linking research to policy advocacy

Publications Trends: Recent work critiques Migrant Protection Protocols, digital asylum systems, and ICE’s pandemic-era strategies. Articles emphasize spatial analysis of enforcement and intersectional policy impacts.

Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, Kocher collaborates with multidisciplinary teams and non-profits in Washington D.C. His work often involves policy engagement and media partnerships.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with CLALS and Syracuse’s Immigration Policy Lab, contributing to transnational research networks.