Michael T. Light

Michael T. Light is Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He holds degrees in Sociology (PhD) and Criminology (MA) from Penn State University and has been a visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, the University of Warwick School of Law, and the Rockwool Foundation. His research focuses on immigration, crime, and punishment. Publications from this work include “Citizenship, Legal, Status, and Misdemeanor Justice” (Criminology), “Noncitizen Justice: The Criminal Case Processing of Non-US Citizens in Texas and California” (American Journal of Sociology), “Comparing crime rates between undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, and native-born US citizens in Texas” (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences),  “How do Criminal Courts Respond in Times of Crisis? Evidence from 9/11” (American Journal of Sociology), “The Criminal Case Processing of Foreign Nationals in the Netherlands” (European Sociological Review), “Does Undocumented Immigration Increase Violent Crime?” (Criminology), “Punishing the ‘Others’: Citizenship and State Social Control in the United States and Germany” (European Journal of Sociology), “Citizenship and Punishment: The Salience of National Membership in U.S. Criminal Courts” (American Sociological Review), and “The Punishment Consequences of Lacking National Membership in Germany” (Social Forces). Current projects include colorism and punishment (Russell Sage Foundation) and the collateral consequences of deportation (Rockwool Foundation).