ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the impacts of parental deportation on the health and well-being of U.S. citizen children of Mexican immigrants. Methods: From 2019-2020, this ambi-directional cohort study recruited U.S.-based families with an undocumented Mexican immigrant parent and U.S.-citizen childrens (ages 13-17) recently exposed to parental deportation (N = 61), and similar families without a history of parental deportation (N = 51). Children health, behavioral, economic, and academic outcomes were measured via phone surveys upon enrollment and six months later. A subsample of "exposed" caregivers (N = 14) also completed in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using fixed-effects regression models and thematic analyses. Results: Childrens exposed to parental deportation had significantly worse health status, behavioral problems, material hardship, and academic outcomes than children in the control arm (p<.05). Caregivers' interviews illustrated these health, behavioral, academic and family impacts. Conclusions: Parental deportations have wide and potentially long-lasting health, behavioral, economic, and academic consequences for U.S. citizen youth. Changes in immigration policies and enforcement practices are urgently needed to protect the unity of mixed-legal status families in the U.S. and prevent the suffering of U.S. children in these families.
ABSTRACT
Latino immigrant families in the United States were disproportionately affected by intensified interior immigration enforcement under the Trump administration. US-citizen children are victimized by policies targeting their immigrant parents; research is sparse regarding how these polices affect children who experience parental deportation and children who are at risk for parental deportation. Additionally, anti-immigrant rhetoric can result in increased discrimination that also threatens children's psychological health. This qualitative study (N = 22) explores children's lived experiences of discrimination, parental deportation or threat of parental deportation, and perceived impacts on mental health. Interviews conducted from 2019 to 2020 revealed that children who are directly affected by or at risk for parental deportation experience detrimental impacts to their psychological well-being. Children experience discrimination as Latinos and children of immigrants, which is also detrimental to their mental/emotional health. Incorporating children's perspectives is critical to informing public health interventions. Findings demonstrate the need for family-friendly immigration reform.
Las familias inmigrantes latinas en los Estados Unidos se vieron desproporcionadamente afectadas por las acciones del servicio de inmigración bajo la administración de Trump. Los niños y niñas con ciudadanía estadounidense son víctimas de las políticas dirigidas a sus padres inmigrantes; las investigaciones son escasas con respecto a cómo estas políticas afectan a los menores afectados por la deportación de sus padres así como los que corren riesgo de que sus padres sean deportados. Además, la retórica antiinmigrante puede provocar un aumento en la discriminación, lo cual también representa una amenaza para la salud psicológica de estos niños y niñas. Este estudio cualitativo (N = 22) explora las experiencias de discriminación y de deportación o amenaza de deportación de los padres vividas por los menores así como los impactos percibidos en su salud mental. Las entrevistas realizadas entre 2019 y 2020 revelan que las niñas y niños directamente afectados por la deportación o el riesgo de deportación de sus padres sufren un impacto perjudicial en su bienestar psicológico. Los menores experimentan discriminación como latinos e hijos de inmigrantes, lo cual también perjudica su salud mental y emocional. Es crucial que se incorporen las perspectivas de estos menores al informar las intervenciones de salud pública. Los hallazgos demuestran la necesidad de una reforma migratoria que sea solidaria con las familias.