Criminalizing Migration: Deportations, Carceral Geographies, and The Transnational Rise of MS-13

This thesis examines the development and transformation of the Salvadoran and Salvadoran-American gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), through the lens of identity, immigration, and urban space. Often viewed as a national security threat, MS-13’s rise reveals the complex interplay between migration policies, socio-spatial identity formation, and carceral responses, such as policing, incarceration, and deportation. This research challenges the traditional narrative of gangs as purely criminal entities, instead exploring how MS-13 is deeply rooted in the geographical dynamics of Los Angeles’s ethnic enclaves and shaped by global deportation policies that contribute to their transnational expansion in El Salvador.

Drawing on theories of place production, carceral geographies, and abolition, this thesis argues that the formation of MS-13 is intimately tied to the lived experiences of Salvadorans in Los Angeles. It further contends that heightened policing and deportation strategies have not only transformed gang networks but also reinforced cycles of violence and their survival by dispersing gang members across borders. The analysis focuses on the post Obama Administration and Bukelismo, showing MS-13’s socio-political strongholds in both the U.S. and El Salvador. Ultimately, through an abolitionist lens, this study aims to bridge the gap between urban development, deportation, and gangs, offering new insights into the geographies of gang activity and carceral responses. It seeks to contribute to more effective strategies for addressing gang violence through culturally relevant and transformative justice approaches.

Read final paper here .