Heather Koball

Koball’s primary research focuses on state-level, immigrant-related policies, including state immigration enforcement policies, state policies on providing public benefits to immigrants, and state immigrant integration policies. She examines the impact of these policies on immigrant families’ well-being, measured in a range of ways. For example, she recently completed an analysis of the impact of state immigration enforcement on the material hardship experienced by immigrant families. Koball also completed an analysis of the impact of state SNAP (i.e., food stamp) programs for unauthorized and recent immigrants on immigrant families’ receipt of SNAP and experiences of food insecurity. Her other areas of public policy expertise include, state variation in public benefit policies, state paid family leave, and education and employment programs for disconnected youth.

Koball helps raise funds for and collect food for the First Presbyterian Church (FPC) of Metuchen, NJ’s food pantry. And she currently serves on the justice committee at FPC, which is working toward become a sanctuary church for immigrants at risk of deportation.