Kristina Fullerton Rico

Fellow

Kristina Fullerton Rico

Postdoctoral Fellow

Kristina Fullerton Rico is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Racial Justice at the Ford School. Her research examines the social and emotional impacts of U.S. immigration policies that lead unauthorized immigrants and their families to endure long-term separation.

News

Fullerton Rico on the hidden hosts of immigration policy

Mar 19, 2026

"When I describe my research, I say that I study love across borders and creative uses of technology," Ford School sociologist Kristina Fullerton Rico said on a recent episode of Grief'd Up. "Over the past 40 years, immigration policies have made it ...

Fullerton Rico on the hidden hosts of immigration policy

Policy Matters

Student curated programming to meet the moment

Nov 24, 2025

Each academic year the programming at the Center for Racial Justice (CRJ) looks a little bit different. We aim to create a vibrant, diverse community of racial justice leaders, scholars, and students engaged in social justice work and believe it's cr...

Student curated programming to meet the moment

News

Rico comments on Trump policies' impact on immigrant communities

Feb 23, 2025

Center for Racial Justice Postdoctoral Fellow Kristina Fullerton Rico explores what she calls the dangerous implications of President Trump's deportation policy in an essay in The Conversation. Citing extensive social science research on U.S. immigr...

Rico comments on Trump policies' impact on immigrant communities

News

Immigration policies: U-M experts can discuss

Feb 6, 2025

Immigration continues to be a priority in U.S. politics, with the federal government intensifying enforcement efforts through large-scale raids and with the transfer of certain detained migrants to Guantanamo Bay. These actions have fueled ongoing de...

Immigration policies: U-M experts can discuss

News

Transnational grief: Adding depth to Day of the Dead

Oct 9, 2024

Restricted by immigration laws, unauthorized immigrants in the United States face severe challenges, including the inability to visit family members left behind. This "slow violence" becomes most painful during times of death, causing "transnational ...

Transnational grief: Adding depth to Day of the Dead

News

Ford School panel examines immigration on the ballot

Sep 17, 2024

The Ford School’s fall event series kicked off with more than 115 people in attendance for Immigration on the Ballot, a panel discussion about the policy landscape and implications for the upcoming election, hosted by the Center for Racial Justice. “...

Ford School panel examines immigration on the ballot

News

Meet our new faculty: Kristina Fullerton Rico

Sep 22, 2023

Kristina Fullerton Rico joins the Ford School as a Predoctoral Fellow at the Center for Racial Justice. Her work focuses on the social and emotional impacts of U.S. immigration policies that lead unauthorized immigrants and their families to endure l...

Unpacking U.S. Immigration Policy: What's at Stake for Our Communities?

Oct 9, 2025, 11:45 am-1:00 pm EDT

Trotter Multicultural Center, large meeting room

Join the Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice and the Trotter Multicultural Center for Unpacking U.S. Immigration Policy: What’s at Stake for Our Communities? Lunch will be served promptly at 11:45 am.

William Lopez, Kristina Fullerton Rico, Irene Romulo

Election issues

Immigration on the Ballot

Sep 9, 2024, 11:30 am-12:50 pm EDT

Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom (Room 1110)

Join the Ford School's Center for Racial Justice for a panelist discussion about the current immigration policy landscape and the implications for the upcoming election.