Second, as discussed earlier, the full model
that includes normative variables fits the data
significantly better than the model containing
only demographic and economic variables,
suggesting that the neoclassical model,
although useful, is insufficient in explaining
noncompliance with immigration law. The
view of would-be migrants as atomistic, utilitymaximizing
opportunists diverts our attention
away from the complex and wide-ranging
moral systems within which prospective
migrants are embedded. Understanding unauthorized
migrants as moral agents capable of
responding to and resisting perceived inequities
underlying U.S. immigration policy may
have significant implications for investigating
not only their migration decisions, but also
their behavior and incorporation patterns
once they enter the United States. For example,
collective action by unauthorized
migrants, such as political protests and labor
unionization, cannot be fully understood
without reference to their legal and class
consciousness.