The centralization of political and economic power in Russia has been a theme of Vladimir Putin's reign, gaining control over regional governments through the Kremlin's party of power, United Russia. Against this trend of curtailing contests of federalism, migration policy has emerged as a policy arena in which we observe regions claiming authority against the federal government. Through a qualitative investigation of four regions, this research argues that migration policy will remain a conduit for regions to secure political power for the foreseeable future, as Russia maintains its position as host to the world's third-largest immigrant population.