The Psychological Health Symptoms of DACA Recipients: A Systematic Review at the Ten-Year Mark of the Program.

The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the mental health symptoms endorsed by DACA recipients. This study included qualitative and quantitative original, peer-reviewed articles related to mental health or psychological state or wellbeing of DACA recipients. Articles were abstracted from PsychInfo, PubMed, and GoogleScholar. The results included a total of fifteen articles, which were divided into qualitative and quantitative findings. The qualitative articles had a common theme of endorsement of depressive symptoms and negative affect associated to changes in familial and financial responsibilities and living in a difficult sociopolitical climate in the United States. The quantitative articles identified lower odds or symptom severity of depression and other internalizing symptoms compared to undocumented individuals. This summary review was limited by the ample exclusion of access to health care studies among DACamented individuals, which could have provided a broader picture about the health and accessibility for DACA recipients. Despite the limitations, this review identifies DACA as a policy that allows this group to improve their social function and quality of life compared to undocumented individuals but still endorse high levels of negative affect related to perceived challenging sociopolitical atmospheres.

Impact of COVID-19 on Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors and Families: Perspectives from Clinical Experts and Providers.

The number of unaccompanied immigrant minors (UIMs) and families from Central America seeking asylum in the U.S. continues to rise. This growth, combined with restrictive government policies, led to crowded and suboptimal conditions in Customs and Border Patrol and non-governmental organization facilities. COVID-19 further taxed facilities and exacerbated uncertainty surrounding length of detention, basic human rights, and family reunification. The current project features testimonies from the authors who work as clinical experts and providers in Texas - a top destination for Central American immigrants. In collaboration with a deputy director of a not-for-profit human rights organization, volunteer psychologists, and the director of a humanitarian respite center, we describe challenges faced by administrators and clinical staff in addressing the mental health needs of immigrant children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary themes identified were anti-immigrant policies that occurred concurrently with COVID-19; difficulty implementing COVID-19 protocols alongside scarcity of supplies and volunteers; increased mental health needs among UIMs and immigrant families; and challenges in UIM placement upon release from custody. Strategies for addressing clinical challenges in the near- and long-term and opportunities for improvement in care systems to immigrant youth, including correcting anti-immigrant policies, addressing ongoing COVID-19 protocols and challenges, meeting mental and physical health needs, facilitating release and reunification for unaccompanied immigrant minors, and maximizing youth resilience through trauma-informed interventions, are presented.

Family Separation at the US and Mexico Border Continues.

Record-breaking levels of asylum seeking by families with young children continue at the United States/Mexico border, particularly the Rio Grande Valley sector. In this Commentary, our aim is to increase awareness by providing child and adolescent mental health care providers with an update on current migrant conditions, bringing to light issues of family separation previously highlighted in the Journal.1 For context, our international group has collected data, via 3 large-scale studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, from more than 600 Latinx immigrants seeking asylum at the US/Mexico border in the last 4 years, during which levels of violence, climate disruption, and poverty in the Northern Triangle of Central America (ie, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras) and Mexico have propelled high and sustained levels of asylum seeking in the United States. We contribute expertise in clinical psychology, Latinx psychology, attachment disruption, and public health, as well as this front-row perspective.

A decolonial and liberation lens to social justice research: Upholding promises for diverse, inclusive, and equitable psychological science.

In the face of harmful disparities and inequities, it is crucial for researchers to critically reflect on methodologies and research practices that can dismantle systems of oppression, accommodate pluralistic realities, and facilitate opportunities for all communities to thrive. Historically, knowledge production for the sciences has followed a colonial and colonizing approach that continues to silence and decontextualize the lived experiences of people of color. This article acknowledges the harm to people of color communities in the name of research and draws from decolonial and liberation frameworks to advance research practices and psychological science toward equity and social justice. In this article, we propose a lens rooted in decolonial and liberatory principles that researchers can use to rethink and guide their scientific endeavors and collaborations toward more ethical, equitable, inclusive, respectful, and pluralistic research practices. The proposed lens draws on literature from community psychology and our lessons learned from field studies with historically marginalized Latinx communities to highlight six interrelated tensions that are important to address in psychological research from a decolonizing and liberatory lens. These interrelated tensions involve conflicting issues of (a) power, (b) competence, (c) practices and theories, (d) rationale, (e) approach, and (f) trust. In addition, seven practical recommendations and examples for decolonial and liberatory research practices are outlined. The recommendations can assist researchers in identifying ways to ameliorate and address the interrelated tensions to give way to decolonial and liberatory research practices. Community and social justice scientists have the responsibility to decommission oppressive research practices and engage in decolonization and liberation toward a valid, ethical, equitable, and inclusive psychological science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Liderando juntos y revueltos: A collectivistic leadership approach to address Latinx immigrant health and psychological needs.

Psychologists are positioned to help address societal and public health crises in beneficial ways, including collectively working with public sectors to serve marginalized communities. This article highlights the relevance of helping to address societal and public health crises with collectivistic psychological leadership approaches and uses Latinx psychology leaders for addressing the current immigrant needs among Latinx communities. We draw attention to the domains needed for collectivistic psychological leadership that are culturally nuanced and equity, diversity, and inclusion-focused to advance the well-being of historically marginalized immigrant communities. Finally, the article highlights how our collectivistic approach operates in the public sector by describing the creation of the Latinx Immigrant Health Alliance (LIHA) and targeted outcomes. Briefly, the LIHA informally started in 2017 and was founded in 2020 to fill a gap in Latinx immigrant health at the heart of systemic inequalities during the global pandemic, explicit anti-immigrant rhetoric, and anti-Latinx policies. The LIHA aims to collectively work with community organizations to promote Latinx immigration health research, policy, education, training, and effective interventions. We include future directions and opportunities for collectivistic psychological leadership to address today's complex social issues. In particular, we call for the translation of psychological methods and other skills (e.g., research, clinical skills, policy, quantitative and qualitative methodology) into public action for better wellness of our communities, as well as the advancement of social justice, health equity, and inclusion for historically marginalized communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

An Exploratory Study of Healing Circles as a Strategy to Facilitate Resilience in an Undocumented Community.

Within the United States (U.S.), the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical inequalities affecting undocumented communities and resulting in particularly heightened stress for members of these communities. In addition to the stress associated to COVID-19, immigrants in the U.S. were more than ever subjected to a hostile anti-immigrant climate under Trump's administration. Given this compounded stress, the impact of the pandemic on mental health is likely to be disproportionately experienced by undocumented immigrants. In response, a group of psychologists partnered with a leading immigrant rights advocacy organization and formed a reciprocal collaboration to support undocumented communities. A major focus of the collaboration is to foster learning, supporting members of the immigrant community to contribute to their own well-being and others in the community. Accordingly, the collaborative developed and delivered a web-based mental health education session to the immigrant community and to practitioners serving this population. The session presented the use of healing circles as a strength-based approach to building resilience and also sought feedback regarding specific features of healing circles that can enhance their effectiveness in managing distress. Survey data and qualitative findings from this study show that those who participated in the web-based program perceived the session as validating and informative. Findings also underscored the need for creating safe spaces for community members to be vulnerable about their lived experiences while promoting ownership of their narratives. We discuss practical implications pertaining to the development and facilitation of social support groups for immigrants led by non-specialist community members trained for this role.

Dentro de los Estados Unidos (EE. UU.), la pandemia de COVID-19 acentuó desigualdades críticas que afectan a las comunidades indocumentadas, provocando un nivel de estrés particularmente alto entre los miembros de estas comunidades. Además del estrés asociado con el COVID-19, los inmigrantes en los EE. UU. estuvieron más que nunca sujetos a un clima antiinmigrante y hostil bajo la administración de Trump. Dado este estrés agravado, es probable que los inmigrantes indocumentados experimenten el impacto de la pandemia en su salud mental de manera desproporcionada. En respuesta, un grupo de psicólogos se unió a una organización líder en defensa de los derechos de los inmigrantes y formó una colaboración recíproca para apoyar a las comunidades indocumentadas. Un enfoque central de esta colaboración ha sido fomentar el aprendizaje, apoyando así a los miembros de la comunidad inmigrante para que contribuyan a su propio bienestar y al de los demás en la comunidad. Por consiguiente y a través de esta colaboración, se desarrolló y presentó una sesión de educación en línea sobre salud mental a la comunidad de inmigrantes, así como a los profesionales que sirven a esta comunidad. La sesión presentó el uso de círculos curativos como una estrategia basada en las capacidades para desarrollar la resiliencia y buscó también obtener retroalimentación sobre características específicas de estos círculos que puedan aumentar su efectividad en el manejo de la angustia. Los hallazgos de la encuesta y cualitativos de este estudio muestran que los participantes percibieron la sesión como validante e informativa. Los hallazgos también destacaron la necesidad de crear espacios seguros para que los miembros de la comunidad puedan ser vulnerables sobre sus experiencias vividas mientras se promueve la propiedad de sus narrativas. Discutimos las implicaciones prácticas relacionadas al desarrollo y la facilitación de grupos de apoyo social para inmigrantes dirigidos por miembros de la comunidad capacitados para asumir dicho rol.

Factor structure of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised in Latin American young adults.

OBJECTIVE: More than 550 million people speak Spanish and, yet, psychometric data on psychological instruments in Spanish lags. Given evidence of significant traumatic exposure and distress among Spanish speakers, the aim of the current study was to examine the factor structure of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R), in a large sample of Spanish-speaking adults. METHOD: Participants (n = 725) were university students living in Latin America (M = 21.02; SD = 3.12). Most were born in Mexico (77.6%) and the next largest subgroup was from Ecuador (18.9%). Respondents completed the 22-item IES-R. RESULTS: The IES-R mean score was 20.08 (SD = 21.34) and 26.6% of the sample met the cutoff score for clinically significant symptoms. Regarding factor structure, eight different factor structures that have demonstrated a good fit in the extant literature were examined. The one-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit, χ²(209) = 839.13, p < .0001; root-mean-square error (RMSEA) = 0.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.06, 0.07]; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.91, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.90. The two-factor model demonstrated good fit, χ²(208) = 746.70, p < .0001; RMSEA = 0.06, 95% CI [0.05, 0.06]; CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, and nested model comparisons of the two-factor and one-factor models using the chi-square difference test supported the two-factor model. CONCLUSIONS: The most parsimonious of the multifactor models, a two-factor model with Avoidance symptoms as one factor and Intrusions and Hyperarousal combined into a second may be of greatest use for this particular version of the IES-R. The current research demonstrates strong psychometric support for Intrusion/Hyperarousal and Avoidance subscales when measuring traumatic stress in Spanish speakers and underscores the need for culturally and contextually sensitive assessment in this population, in which posttraumatic stress is prevalent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Challenges and Ethical Implications in Rural Community Mental Health: The Role of Mental Health Providers.

This manuscript reviews the unique challenges, barriers, and ethical implications of providing mental health services in rural and underserved areas. Community mental health centers in rural areas are often underserved due to shortages of mental health providers and limited resources. Individuals living in rural areas are at increased risk of developing mental health condition with limited access to mental health clinicians and healthcare facilities. These access to care issues are often exacerbated by geographical barriers as well as social, cultural, and economic challenges. A rural mental health professional may encounter several barriers to providing adequate care to individuals living in rural areas. For example, limited services and resources, geographic barriers, conflict between professional guidelines and community values, managing dual relationships, and challenges pertaining to confidentiality and privacy are several barriers to providing adequate care in rural areas. We will briefly summarize the primary ethical domains that are especially influenced by rural culture and the complex responsibilities of mental health providers in rural areas including barriers to care, crisis intervention, confidentiality, multiple relationships/dual roles, limits of competency, and rural mental healthcare practice implications.

Applying an Antiracist Approach to Promoting Health Equity and Psychological Well-Being in Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors.

Unaccompanied immigrant minors (UIMs) are a fast-growing demographic in the United States, doubling in population since 2014.1 According to the Office of Refugee Resettlement, a UIM is someone under the age of 18 years who enters the United States without lawful status and an accompanying guardian.2 Most UIMs in the United States originate from the Central American northern triangle (ie, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras), with violence, extreme poverty, and family re-unification as the top 3 reasons for migration.1,3 Repeated exposure to stressful and/or traumatic events at home, during migration, and upon arrival increases UIMs' risk for psychological distress and mental disorders.3 UIMs' repeated encounters with race-based trauma (eg, racism, discrimination) further heightens this risk.3 The repercussions of these events are compounded by the fact that UIMs lack the adversity buffering effect that is traditionally associated with the presence of a caregiver.3 Furthermore, UIMs' mental health risk is augmented by their interaction with US systems (eg, legal, immigration, child welfare, educational, healthcare) with policies and practices that are discriminatory, are exclusionary, propagate the view of UIMs as racialized threats to society, and fail to consider their developmental context.3,4 Considering these risks, it is imperative to the well-being and positive development of UIMs that they have access to quality mental health services (MHS).

Anti-immigration policy and mental health: Risk of distress and trauma among deferred action for childhood arrivals recipients in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the association between immigration legal status and distress from the announcement of the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program among individuals affected by this potentially traumatic event (PTE), along with identifying relevant risk factors. METHOD: Participants (N = 233) affected by the termination announcement provided cross-sectional self-reports on distress from the announcement that was measured using the Impact of Events Scale-Revised. RESULTS: Of the participants, 40.7% met the clinical cutoff for distress from the PTE indicative of posttraumatic stress disorder. DACA recipients had significantly higher levels of distress from the PTE compared with non-DACA undocumented immigrants and documented counterparts, χ²(2, N = 233) = 23.25, p < .001. After controlling for covariates, being a DACA recipient (OR = 4.11, 95% confidence interval [1.99, 8.50], p < .001), being male (OR = 2.06, [1.05, 4.03], p = .035), and having lower financial security (OR = .54, [.38, .75], p < .001) were significantly associated with distress. CONCLUSION: The future of DACA recipients is uncertain, which can be trauma inducing. The field of psychology needs to make space for this kind of experience as potentially traumatic. Advocacy efforts to shift immigration policies can be strengthened to alter the negative effects of the potential termination of DACA on those affected by it. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Co-occurrence of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Predict Caretaker Mental Health in a Latinx Sample.

Caretakers to children and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) experience more emotional distress compared to community control samples. Risk factors for poorer mental health among this population include symptom severity and an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. This study aimed to ascertain a relationship between NDD severity and caretakers' mental health. It was hypothesized that co-occurrence of multiple diagnoses would predict higher anxiety and depressive symptomatology and suicidality. Data was collected from a sample of 93 Latinx caregivers to a child or adult with at least one NDD. Multiple NDDs predicted higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to the symptom severity endorsed by caregivers to those with a single NDD diagnosis, but did not predict increased suicidality endorsement. Because caregivers to those with multiple NDDs are at an elevated risk for depression and anxiety, clinicians should consider screening for internalizing disorders in caregivers when treating individual with an NDD.

Trauma in the American asylum process: Experiences of immigrant families under the migrant protection protocols.

OBJECTIVE: Latinx asylum-seeking families report posttraumatic distress that is 161-204% higher than in nonimmigrants, with adverse consequences for health and well-being. Recent U.S. policies have further embedded trauma in the asylum-seeking process by forcing families to remain in Mexico, enduring dire living conditions in tent encampments near the border while awaiting processing. These families are now entering the United States in large numbers. This article sheds light on their recent experiences and mental health needs, using a mixed methods-grounded theory design, presenting quantitative and qualitative data to describe the experiences of six asylum-seeking families who waited for 1-2 years in the refugee camp in Mexico. METHOD: Quantitative data was obtained from the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire while qualitative interviews provided insight into reasons for migration and trauma at different stages of the migration process. RESULTS: All participants experienced multiple traumas and endorsed trauma related symptoms. Important themes of psychological distress and trauma emerged, including unending suffering, hunger, and worry for the safety of their children while living in the refugee camp. Asylum-seeking families experienced substantial distress and trauma secondary to their stay in Mexico and COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Families arriving to the United States have experienced significant trauma, separation, and loss before and during their journey. Interactions with an unprepared and overwhelmed immigration system further compromises their psychological well-being. It is imperative that first-person narratives inform policy that addresses their complex needs and protects their human rights. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Humanitarian crisis on the US-Mexico border: Mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

Families and youth from the Northern Triangle of Central America seeking asylum in the U.S. report substantial trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Sexual and gender minorities of this population especially present unique circumstances and thus challenges and needs. However, with immigration along the southern U.S. border at a 21-year high, health and social resources for refugees and asylum seekers are being strained. Accordingly, the primary aim of this review is to raise awareness about migration-related trauma and the mental health needs among Central American and LGBTQ + refugees and asylum seekers in the U.S.-Mexico border. The authors also discuss practical, clinical, and advocacy implications to improve the mental health of refugees and asylum seekers entering the United States.

Reverse-Coded Items Do Not Work in Spanish: Data From Four Samples Using Established Measures.

The potential for suboptimal psychometric performance of reverse-coded items may be particularly pronounced when scales are translated and administered in Spanish with these problems exacerbated in youth respondents. This is a significant concern, given the rapid rise in Hispanic-American and Spanish-speaking individuals in the US and their rightful, growing representation in psychological research and clinical care. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric performance of reverse-coded items across four Spanish-speaking samples spanning developmental stages including youth, college students, and parents (N = 1,084; Adolescents n = 107; M = 19.79; SD = 2.09; 41.1% female; Caregivers n = 58; M = 40.79; SD = 7.94; 60.3% female; Spanish-speaking adults in the US n = 157; M = 33.4; SD = 9.5; 68.8% female; and College students living in Latin America n = 783; M = 21.04; SD = 3.13; 69.2% female) and four scales (Big Five Inventory; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; Beck Hopelessness Scale); we expected reverse-coded items would demonstrate inadequate item-total correlations and their inclusion would compromise scale internal consistency. Hypotheses were supported with evidence of poor psychometric performance for at least two reverse-coded items on each instrument, such that un-reversing the items improved their item-total correlations. Across every instrument, alpha was either improved by excluding reverse-coded items or by including them in an un-reversed fashion and, overall, there was a moderate, negative effect of reverse-coded items on scale alphas. In growing consensus with previous authors, we recommend that reverse-coded items not be included in Spanish scales.

A Cross-sectional Study of the Mental Health Symptoms of Latin American, US Hispanic, and Spanish College Students Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Young adults and racial/ethnic minorities report the worst mental health outcomes during the COVID19 pandemic, according to the Center for Disease Control (2020). The objectives of this study were (1) to identify common mental health symptoms among Latin American, US Hispanic, and Spanish college students, and (2) to identify clinical features predictive of higher post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among this population. The study sample included 1,113 college students from the USA, Mexico, Chile, Ecuador, and Spain who completed an online survey containing demographic questions and mental health screeners. Findings revealed higher scores of depression, suicidality, and PTSS compared to pre-pandemic levels and current scores by non-Spanish speaking college students; however, less than 5% of participants endorsed clinical levels of anxiety. After controlling for demographic profiles and sociocultural values, clinical symptoms of depression, loneliness, perceived stress, anxiety, and coping strategies explained 62% of the PTSS variance. Age, history of mental illness, perceived social support, and familism were not significant predictors. This sample of college students revealed higher mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The high prevalence of PTSS highlights the need to develop pragmatic, cost-effective, and culturally sensitive prevention and intervention strategies to mitigate these symptoms. Implications for college administrators and clinicians are discussed.

When the United States says you do not belong: Suicide-related thoughts and behaviors among immigrant young adults varying in immigration legal status.

BACKGROUND: The number of immigrants in the United States and the risk of suicide among minoritized individuals have increased. Little research has examined the impact of immigration legal status on suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (SRTB), despite theoretical and empirical work suggesting that feelings of burdensomeness and failure to belong (prominent among immigrants) are risk factors. METHODS: We examined a diverse sample of foreign-born young adults (18-25; N = 366). Data collection utilized the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire Revised and items probing belongingness and immigration status (undocumented/Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), permanent, and citizen). RESULTS: DACA/undocumented status was associated with increased SRTB compared with permanent and citizen categories. Increased SRTBs were associated with reduced feelings of acceptance in the United States, increased deportation fears, and increased fear of being harassed or hurt. Of these belongingness variables, only the interpersonal-not feeling welcome in the United States-partially mediated the risk relation between DACA/undocumented immigration legal status and SRTBs, whereas physical and legal threat, like deportation, did not. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the interpersonal nature of SRTB risk in DACA/undocumented immigrants and the need for targeted culture and context-appropriate interventions, as well as advocacy and policy to reduce risk in this historically marginalized population.

One more wall to cross: The role of psychologists in addressing integrated health among undocumented Latinx immigrants in inpatient medical settings.

Over the past decade, there has been increased attention to the benefits of an integrated health-care care model in which psychologists play a vital role collaborating with other health providers to deliver services in inpatient medical settings, such as emergency departments and acute care medical units. Psychologists working in inpatient medical settings can facilitate access to mental health services and referrals, reduce mental health stigma, improve health outcomes associated with insight into psychosocial factors that affect health and illness, improve communication between patients and providers, and increase sensitivity in addressing the health needs of diverse patients. Psychological services in inpatient medical units can be particularly valuable for marginalized populations, such as undocumented Latinx immigrants, who may not otherwise have access to services that can address the compounded effect that psychosocial stressors may have on their physical health. We illustrate the critical role that psychologists can play in inpatient medical settings to address the complex health needs of Latinx immigrants. In this case study, an undocumented young woman presented to an emergency department with acute liver failure. We focus on psychologists' specific contributions as part of the integrated medical team and how it may have impacted treatment effectiveness. We also provide practical assessment and treatment recommendations, along with proposing advocacy efforts to facilitate access to culture and context sensitive treatments for undocumented immigrants with complex health issues. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Teaching DBT Skills to DACA Recipients and their Families: Findings from an ECHO Program.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) offers temporary administrative relief from deportation for undocumented immigrant adolescents and young adults who were brought as children to the United States. Accordingly, DACA has contributed to creating a different landscape of opportunities for this group. However, DACA has been and continues to be highly contested in the national political climate. Threats to DACA give rise to considerable anxiety, fear, and distress among its recipients, who face significant barriers to accessing mental health care services. Thus, a group of psychologists partnered with a leading immigrant rights advocacy organization and formed a reciprocal collaboration to understand and meet the mental health needs of undocumented communities. A major focus of the collaboration is to foster learning and support members of the immigrant community in contributing to their own well-being. The collaborative developed and delivered a stand-alone web-based mental health education session to DACA recipients and their families and practitioners serving this population. The session presented the use of dialectical behavioral therapy skills, three emotion regulation and four distress tolerance skills, as a strength-based approach to managing painful emotions and distress. Session content was adapted to include culturally informed examples for each skill. Quantitative and qualitative findings show that those who participated in the web-based program benefited from the education received. Findings also underscored participants' need for learning culturally sensitive coping strategies for managing stress. We provide recommendations on the delivery of culturally congruent healing interventions for immigrants with a focus on enhancing access among immigrant communities.

Trauma Exposure and Trauma Symptoms as Predictors of Police Perceptions in Latinx Youths.

Objective: The Latinx immigrant youth population composes nearly a quarter of all children in the U.S. and are a high-risk group for police encounters. Based on perceptions of Latinxs as criminals, increased enforcement actions against Latinxs in the U.S., and failures of policing and police brutality in immigrants' home countries, we expected that immigrants who reported increased trauma exposure and symptoms would have more negative perceptions of police. Method: This study utilized data from 107 recently immigrated Latinx youth to examine how trauma exposure (Child Trauma Screen) and symptoms (Child PTSD Symptoms Scale) related to perceptions of police (Criminal Sentiments Scale-Modified). Results: Consistent with the proposed hypotheses, trauma symptoms evidenced a significant main effect in relation to perceptions of police, B = .115, t = 2.35; p = .021, such that greater trauma symptoms were associated with more negative perceptions of law enforcement. Though trauma exposure did not evidence a significant main effect in relation to perceptions of police, B = .254, t = 1.46; p = .146, moderation analyses indicated that trauma exposure was associated with more negative perceptions of police, B = -.019, t = -2.08; p = .040. However, this interaction effect indicated that when both trauma symptoms and trauma exposure were high, less negative perceptions of police were observed. Conclusion: The present study provides novel data on police perceptions in young Latinx immigrants. Findings highlight the need for improved community relations and culturally responsive strategies between law enforcement and communities of color.