Noel is a fourth-year student majoring in Political Economy with a minor in Public Policy at UC Berkeley. As a first-generation, low-income, Black transfer student, he is dedicated to advancing equity and systemic reform through data-driven policymaking. Noel’s academic achievements include completing the prestigious Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he undertook graduate-level coursework from the Master in Public Policy (MPP) core curriculum. During the fellowship, he drafted several policy memos for his capstone project, addressing anti-Black racism in immigration systems. As a Miller Scholar, Noel further explored systemic inequities through original research under the guidance of Dr. Nikki Jones, focusing on the intersections of immigration, policing, and race. Noel is passionate about bridging the gap between marginalized communities and policymakers. He aims to address systemic inequities by focusing on immigration reform, equitable resource allocation, and justice-driven policy solutions. In the future, Noel plans to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy and collaborate with policy think tanks to develop innovative strategies that promote social and economic justice.
Noel Arikew's research centers on the intersections of immigration, race, and systemic inequities, with a particular focus on the experiences of Black immigrants. Through his Miller Scholars research project, Crimmigration & Black Immigrants: Analyzing the Impact of the 1996 IRAIRA Crimmigration Bill and the Policing and Surveillance Practices of ICE on Black Immigrant Experiences in the U.S., Noel examined how anti-Black racism is embedded in immigration enforcement and policy. His work under the mentorship of Dr. Nikki Jones investigated the racialized implications of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IRAIRA), with a special focus on its disproportionate impact on Haitian immigrants and other Black immigrant communities. As part of this research, Noel drafted several policy memos that highlighted the systemic inequities inherent in immigration enforcement and proposed actionable recommendations to mitigate the impact of anti-Blackness in these systems. These memos addressed areas such as reducing racial bias in deportation practices, improving oversight of surveillance technologies used by ICE, and ensuring equitable resource allocation for Black immigrant populations. His work not only contributed to academic scholarship but also aimed to inform policymakers and advocacy organizations about the urgent need for justice-driven immigration reforms. Noel’s broader research interests include understanding the role of surveillance and policing in immigration enforcement, analyzing structural inequalities in immigration systems, and advocating for policies that humanize these systems. He remains committed to leveraging research, policy analysis, and advocacy to address racial and systemic biases and to promote equity for marginalized immigrant communities.
