Epilogue

This epilogue revisits the lessons of the Portbridge Day Labor Center (DLC) in light of today&s;s cultural moment, centering the impact of immigration policies on people&s;s lives. Although every administration has attempted reform, none have achieved lasting success. Because this ethnographic fieldwork was conducted during the first Trump administration, the themes explored here remain especially salient as previous and ongoing policies will continue to shape the future. In recent years, shifting dynamics between the state and local communities have left migrants in a persistent state of liminality. By examining how im/migrants have endured dehumanization through deportations, family separation, detention practices, and media representation, this chapter argues that incorporating models of dynamic local citizenship into broader contexts could counter these harms and provide a more holistic and hopeful path forward.