On the Record

"This compelling book takes records seriously, both as process and product, in a way that I have yet to see across the social science immigration literature. Coutin weaves vivid narratives with insights gained from deep and thoughtful fieldwork to illuminate how undocumented immigrants navigate the bureaucratic arm of a state committed to their forced removal."--Angela S. García, author of Legal Passing: Navigating Undocumented Life and Local Immigration Law " On the Record incisively explores how service providers mediate a highly repressive legal regime to effectively advocate for immigrant clients. Coutin's timely analysis of plenary doctrine transcends 'law on the books' versus 'law in practice' approaches to legal frameworks, showing how they are dynamic, subjective, and intertwined."--Ruth Gomberg, author of Becoming Legal: Immigration Law and Mixed-Status Families "In On the Record , Coutin provides readers with deep, critical insights into how purportedly 'undocumented' residents of the United States, and others without citizenship, use documents not only to advance their legal claims, but also to define themselves, assert their expertise, and speak back to those in power."--Jennifer M. Chacón, coauthor of Legal Phantoms: Executive Action and the Haunting Failures of Immigration Law