Recreational cannabis legalization and immigration enforcement: a state-level analysis of arrests and deportations in the United States, 2009-2020.

BACKGROUND: Recreational cannabis laws (RCL) in the United States (US) can have important implications for people who are non-citizens, including those with and without formal documentation, and those who are refugees or seeking asylum. For these groups, committing a cannabis-related infraction, even a misdemeanor, can constitute grounds for status ineligibility, including arrest and deportation under federal immigration policy-regardless of state law. Despite interconnections between immigration and drug policy, the potential impacts of increasing state cannabis legalization on immigration enforcement are unexplored. METHODS: In this repeated cross-sectional analysis, we tested the association between state-level RCL adoption and monthly, state-level prevalence of immigration arrests and deportations related to cannabis possession. Data were from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Immigration arrest information was available from Oct-2014 to May-2018 and immigration deportation information were available from Jan-2009 to Jun-2020 for. To test associations with RCLs, we fit Poisson fixed effects models that controlled for pre-existing differences between states, secular trends, and potential sociodemographic, sociopolitical, and setting-related confounders. Sensitivity analyses explored potential violations to assumptions and sensitivity to modeling specifications. RESULTS: Over the observation period, there were 7,739 immigration arrests and 48,015 deportations referencing cannabis possession. By 2020, 12 stated adopted recreational legalization and on average immigration enforcement was lower among RCL compared to non-RCL states. In primary adjusted models, we found no meaningful changes in arrest prevalence, either immediately following RCL adoption (Prevalence Ratio [PR]: 0.84; [95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.57, 1.11]), or 1-year after the law was effective (PR: 0.88 [CI: 0.56, 1.20]). For the deportation outcome, however, RCL adoption was associated with a moderate relative decrease in deportation prevalence in RCL versus non-RCL states (PR: 0.68 [CI: 0.56, 0.80]; PR 1-year lag: 0.68 [CI: 0.54, 0.82]). Additional analyses were mostly consistent by suggested some sensitivities to modeling specification. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that decreasing penalties for cannabis possession through state RCLs may reduce some aspects of immigration enforcement related to cannabis possession. Greater attention to the immigration-related consequences of current drug control policies is warranted, particularly as more states weigh the public health benefits and drawbacks of legalizing cannabis.

Perceptions of the effect of parental deportation on adult intimate relationships.

Research has shown that children of undocumented Latinx parents in the United States are at greater risk for negative long-term effects on their mental health and overall well-being. Chief among these concerns are the negative effects of disrupted attachment processes, as deported parents are often taken from their families by force and required to parent from afar, if they can continue parenting at all. Despite the ubiquity of deported families, little is known about the effects of deportation on the attachment of left-behind children and the subsequent potential disruptive effect of deportation on their adult relationships. This phenomenological study aims to understand how adults who have experienced parental deportation in their childhood describe the effects of that event on their adult intimate relationships. Themes of (1) ambiguous loss; (2) inability to trust others; (3) fear of separation from loved ones; and (4) shame emerged and are discussed considering existing literature on attachment theory, immigration, and the Latinx population. Treatment implications are also discussed.

Deportation threat predicts Latino US citizens and noncitizens' psychological distress, 2011 to 2018.

The national context of deportation threat, defined as the federal government's approach to deportation and/or deportation's salience to the US public, fluctuated between 2011 and 2018. US Latinos across citizenship statuses may have experienced growing psychological distress associated with these changes, given their disproportionate personal or proximal vulnerabilities to deportation. Drawing on 8 y of public- and restricted-access data from the National Health Interview Survey (2011 to 2018), this article examines trends in psychological distress among Latinos who are US-born citizens, naturalized citizens, and noncitizens. It then seeks to explain these trends by considering two theoretical pathways through which the national context of deportation threat could distress Latinos: 1) through discrete dramatic societal events that independently signal a change to the country's approach to deportation and/or that render deportation temporarily more salient to the public or 2) through more gradual changes to the country's everyday institutional (i.e., quotidian efforts to detain and deport noncitizens) and social (i.e., deportation's ongoing salience to a concerned public) environment of deportation threat. We find that, though both pathways matter to some degree, there is more consistent evidence that the gradual changes are associated with Latino US citizens and noncitizens' overall experiences of psychological distress. The article highlights how, even absent observable spillover effects of dramatic societal events bearing on deportation threat, the institutional and social environment in which they occur implicates Latinos' well-being.

Fear of Deportation and Hispanic Early Adolescent Substance Use: a Moderated Mediation Model of Stress and Hope.

Reports of deportation can create a state of chronic fear in children living in mixed-status immigrant families over their own or a loved one's potential deportation. One indicator of health disparities among youth is elevated rates of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD). Yet little is known about the effects of fear of deportation (FOD) on ATOD or what might promote resilience. We explore the associations between FOD and ATOD use, how stress mediates this relationship, and whether hope moderates the mediated pathway from FOD to ATOD. Participants were 200 first- and second-generation 7th grade Hispanic youth (49% female) assessed across three waves of data. A moderated mediation model tested the indirect effect of FOD on ATOD through stress and whether hope moderated these associations. FOD was measured by the Family Fear of Deportation Scale. Snyder's Children's Hope Scale measured hope. Stress was measured by a short version of Pediatric Psychological Stress Measure. ATOD was adapted from the Monitoring the Future project. FOD was not directly associated with ATOD use. However, this path was fully mediated by stress. Hope significantly moderated the path from FOD to stress such that a one unit increase in hope completely offset the effects of FOD on stress. Hope did not moderate the path from stress to ATOD use. Interventions that increase awareness of deportation trauma, alleviate stress, and promote hope may help prevent, delay initiation into, and/or decrease ATOD among Hispanic first- and second-generation youth.

Australia's unethical deportation practice discriminates against New Zealanders with mental illness: 'Everybody needs good neighbours!'

In this article, we explore Australia's deportation of people with mental illness from an ethical and human rights perspective. We outline the legislative framework regulating migration policy in Australia, focussing on Section 501 (s.501) of the Migration Act 1958 (which makes provision for deportation of non-residents on character grounds) and on the recently issued Direction 99 (which provides guidance on visa refusal and cancellation under s.501). We find the definition of a failed character test embedded within the legislative framework to be discriminatory, in that it conflates mental illness with character attributes. We present recent data on s.501 deportees sourced from the New Zealand Police and Manatu Hauora (the New Zealand Ministry of Health). Drawing on our clinical experiences working in forensic psychiatry and rehabilitation services, we describe some of our patients' experiences and the detrimental effects of deportation on their health and well-being. We argue that deportation of people with mental illness contravenes principles of psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery, is discriminatory and constitutes a moral wrong. Furthermore, while we recognise that recent policy changes reflect a tempering of the previous hard-line policy stance, it remains to be seen what effects they will have in practice. We question whether the new guidance will be enough to improve the treatment of and outcomes for those with mental illness, or whether the changes represent a case of too little, too late.

Analysis and Mapping of Scientific Literature on Detention and Deportation of International Migrants (1990-2022).

Millions of people cross political borders yearly without having the proper documents. This has led to increased detention and deportation practices in destination countries for reasons related to security and sovereignty. The objective of the current study was to analyze and visualize research publications on the detention and deportation of migrants to identify current research hotspots, research gaps, and potential future research in the field. Relevant research articles were obtained from the Scopus database for the study period from 1900 to December 31, 2022. The analysis included presentations of key contributors to the field and visualization of topics, themes, and international collaboration. In total, 906 articles were found. The earliest was in 1982. The majority of articles were published in journals within the subject areas of social sciences and humanities. The number of publications showed a steep rise from 2011 to 2022. The Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies was the most prolific, but publications in the Citizenship Studies journal received the highest number of citations per article. Researchers from the United States contributed the most. Mexico ranked fifth in the number of publications. Oxford University was the most prolific institution, followed by three universities in Australia. The majority of articles were single-authored, indicative of limited author-author collaboration. Research hotspots in the field were "human rights" and "mental health". The detention and deportation of Mexican and other Latino migrants in the United States constituted a distinct research theme in the field. International research collaboration was limited by geographical proximity (e.g., the United States and Mexico) or common language (e.g., the United Kingdom and Australia). Future research topics should focus on alternatives to detention, family separation, and healthcare services for detained migrants. Research activity on detention and deportation is required from all world regions, including the source countries of migrants. Future research should promote alternatives to traditional detentions. The contribution of countries in Africa, the Middle East, and South-Eastern Asian regions needs to be encouraged. Future research on the detention and deportation of non-Latino migrants is highly required.

Beyond "Chilling Effects": Latinx and Asian Immigrants' Experiences With Enforcement and Barriers to Health Care.

OBJECTIVES: Immigration enforcement policies are associated with immigrants' barriers to health care. Current evidence suggests that enforcement creates a "chilling effect" in which immigrants avoid care due to fear of encountering enforcement. Yet, there has been little examination of the impact of immigrants' direct encounters with enforcement on health care access. We examined some of the first population-level data on Asian and Latinx immigrants' encounters with law and immigration enforcement and assessed associations with health care access. METHODS: We analyzed the 2018 and 2019 Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy survey in which Asian and Latinx immigrants in California (n=1681) reported on 7 enforcement experiences (eg, racial profiling and deportation). We examined the associations between measures of individual and cumulative enforcement experiences and the usual sources of care and delay in care. RESULTS: Latinx, compared with Asian respondents, reported the highest levels of enforcement experiences. Almost all individual enforcement experiences were associated with delaying care for both groups. Each additional cumulative experience was associated with a delay in care for both groups (OR=1.30, 95% CI 1.10-1.50). There were no associations with the usual source of care. CONCLUSION: Findings confirm that Latinx immigrants experience high levels of encounters with the enforcement system and highlight new data on Asian immigrants' enforcement encounters. Direct experiences with enforcement have a negative relationship with health care access. Findings have implications for health systems to address the needs of immigrants affected by enforcement and for changes to health and immigration policy to ensure immigrants' access to care.

Deportations and departures: Undocumented Mexican immigrants' return migration during three presidential administrations.

This study examines changes in the sociodemographic patterns of deportation and voluntary return of undocumented immigrants from the United States to Mexico during three US presidential administrations (2001 to 2019) with different immigration policies. Most previous studies examining these migration flows for the United States as a whole have relied exclusively on counts of deportees and returnees, thereby ignoring changes over the past 20 y in the characteristics of the undocumented population itself, i.e., the population at risk of deportation or voluntary return. We estimate Poisson models based on two data sources that permit us to compare changes in the sex, age, education, and marital status distributions of both deportees and voluntary return migrants with the corresponding changes in the undocumented population during the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations: the Migration Survey on the Borders of Mexico-North (Encuesta sobre Migración en las Fronteras de México-Norte) for counts of deportees and voluntary return migrants and the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement for estimated counts of the undocumented population living in the United States. We find that whereas disparities by sociodemographic characteristics in the likelihood of deportation generally increased beginning in Obama's first term, sociodemographic disparities in the likelihood of voluntary return generally decreased over this period. Despite heightened antiimmigrant rhetoric during the Trump administration, the changes in deportation and voluntary return migration to Mexico among the undocumented during Trump's term were part of a trend that began early in the Obama administration.

Two pathways to Mexico: Forced deportation or voluntary return of parents and US citizen children.

Hundreds of thousands of undocumented Mexican immigrants were deported from the United States or returned to Mexico voluntarily in the past two decades, taking with them their US-born citizen children (USCC). A family's relocation-forced deportation or voluntary return-and the subsequent settlement and adjustment to Mexico affect everyone's well-being. We interviewed 18 USCC whose parents were forcibly deported and 18 whose parents returned voluntarily about their circumstances, experiences, and perceptions. Four categories of relocation and adjustment issues emerged. USCC with deported parents felt the sudden and harsh arrest, detention, deportation, and separation from parents, and family reunification after deportation. Those in the voluntary-return group told of concerns about the planned separation and relocation to Mexico. Both groups experienced issues of family reintegration and adjustment to a new environment. While relocation prompted similarities and differences in families' settlement, issues unique to families played a part in children's adjustment. Clinicians in both the United States and Mexico must take into consideration the nature of the relocation, families' distinctive reactions, and the individual child's experience as some USCC will remain in Mexico and others will return to the US Mexican clinicians will encounter USCC still settling and adjusting to Mexico, and USCC who decide to remain permanently in Mexico. US clinicians may encounter USCC facing the challenges of re-entering American society, joining educational institutions, and becoming part of the labor force. USCC forming families may feel the impact of their pasts in parenting dynamics.

Fear of Deportation and Associations with Mental Health Among Michigan Residents of Middle Eastern & North African Descent.

Anti-immigrant rhetoric and immigration policy enforcement in the United States over the last 2 decades has increased attention to fear of deportation as a determinant of poor health. We describe its association with mental health outcomes among Middle East and North African (MENA) residents of Michigan. Using a convenience sample of MENA residents in Michigan (n = 397), we conducted bivariate and multiple variable regression to describe the prevalence of deportation worry and examine the relationship between deportation worry and depressive symptoms (PHQ-4 scores). We found that 33% of our sample worried a loved one will be deported. Deportation worry was associated with worse mental health (p < 0.01). Immigration policies are health policies and deportation worry impacts mental and behavioral health.

Língua e exílio / Language and exile

RESUMO: O presente trabalho dedica-se às incidências do exílio sobre a prática da língua. Com o intuito de manter aberta a interrogação sobre a escrita, adota a perspectiva da questão-resposta a propósito do território que se tece pela via da escrita. Parte da língua enquanto ela coloniza os falantes para abordar os efeitos de linguagem documentados na escrita daqueles que atravessam a experiência do exílio. Remonta à acepção de exílio intrínseca à inexistência da relação sexual e procede à aproximação entre desejo e escrita.

ABSTRACT: The present work is dedicated to the effects of exile on the practice of the language. In order to keep the question about writing open, it adopts the perspective of the question-answer regarding the territory woven through writing. It starts from language as it colonizes speakers to address the effects of language documented in the writing of those going through the experience of exile. It goes back to the meaning of exile intrinsic to the non-existence of the sexual relation and brings together desire and writing.

Repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts, Uganda. What do we learn from the process?

Introduction: Repatriation is a fundamental and often preferred solution to the refugee crisis around the world. This study explored the process of repatriation of the South Sudanese refugees from the West Nile districts in Uganda. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of the process of repatriation of refugees in three west Nile refugee districts of Adjumani, Arua, and Moyo, Uganda. Both qualitative and qualitative data were collected. Results: The findings showed that several stakeholders were involved in the repatriation exercise including the government at central and district levels, United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations, and refugee communities. The key steps undertaken during repatriation include information and education campaigns to promote returns focussing on security and socio-economic conditions in South Sudan and the facilitation of confidence-building visits in the areas of origin. During the repatriation exercise, key interventions provided included health care screening and treatment, and the provision of reintegration support services including the provision of food security items and cash allowances. Conclusions: The findings highlight the fundamental steps followed during a well-planned, structured, and effective repatriation of South Sudanese refugees from Uganda. Understanding repatriation requires an appreciation of how it is implemented to support offering an effective, durable, and lasting solution to refugees to promote their health and welfare.

"Everyone collaborated and came together": The civic promise (and pitfalls) of yPAR for immigrant-origin students in an era of deportation.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, increased anti-immigrant hostility has trickled into school settings creating toxic climates for immigrant-origin (I-O) students (Rogers, School and society in the age of trump, 2019, UCLA's Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access). Through youth participatory action research (yPAR), this study qualitatively examined how a class of Emerging Bilingual (EB) students aimed to promote more inclusive learning environments by designing, implementing, and evaluating a school-wide program. Here, we consider how the students experienced growth in their civic development as well as how they contended with resistances encountered during the project. METHODS: The current study took place at a majority I-O, northeastern high school and was led by an EB class (n = 20) and its teacher. Participants were as follows: on average 16.5 years; 60% female; and 65% Latinx, 30% Black, and 5% mixed-race (Black-Latino). Multiple data sources documenting the students' experiences were collected (including weekly student reflections and ethnographic field notes) and then thematically analyzed using open coding. RESULTS: Participating students demonstrated civic development as evidenced through: growing confidence that the program could generate positive change; enhanced sense of connection toward their classmates; and increased commitment to future civic engagement. Nonetheless, some participants demonstrated initial trepidation in both disclosing their migration stories as well as the potential efficacy of engaging in the project. Furthermore, others were disappointed by the disinterest displayed by some of their peers and teachers. CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative research can support I-O youths' civic development, though, the resistances encountered and engendered illuminate possible challenges to ensure its benefits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Legal Status, Worries About Deportation, and Depression Among Asian Immigrants.

Although legal status and worries of deportation have been identified as key factors in immigrant health inequities for Latinx immigrants, how they impact health of Asian immigrants is largely unknown. Using 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey, we used sets of logistic regressions to examine the relationships among legal statuses, worries about deportation, and depression for Asian immigrants (n = 1371). Asian immigrants who are in the process of applying for citizenship, those with visas, and those who are ineligible to apply for citizenship were significantly more likely to be depressed compared with naturalized citizens. The significant associations between legal status and depression were mediated by worries about deportation. Legal status and worries of deportation are important determinants of health for Asian immigrants. The results point to a critical need for systematic investment in data collection for data disaggregation.

Risk and protective markers for well-being in Latinx immigrants in removal proceedings.

OBJECTIVES: There are currently 1,308,327 immigrants in removal proceedings, over 80% of whom are Latinx (TRAC, 2021b). This study examined the relation among putative protective markers (i.e. social support, religious support, and legal support) and the emotional and physical well-being of Latinx individuals facing removal proceedings. HYPOTHESES: We hypothesized that increased social support, religious support, and legal support would buffer the negative relations between hopelessness, poor self-efficacy, and well-being measures (depression, anxiety, stress, mental well-being, somatic symptoms, and physical well-being). METHOD: Participants (N = 157; 31.2% men, M age = 33.4 years) had an active immigration court case in Texas and completed a demographic questionnaire, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, Multi-Faith Religious Support Scale, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21, Patient Health Questionnaire-15, and Short Form Health Survey-12. RESULTS: Higher levels of hopelessness and poor self-efficacy were associated with more negative well-being outcomes, while social support was associated with more positive well-being outcomes. Contrary to hypotheses, religious support and legal support served as risk markers independently, while legal support interacted with hopelessness, such that decreased legal support was associated with higher mental well-being at lower levels of hopelessness and interacted with poor self-efficacy, such that increased legal support was associated with poorer mental well-being at lower levels of self-efficacy. All effect sizes were small (rsp2 = .04 to .16). CONCLUSIONS: Targeting hopelessness and poor self-efficacy while promoting social support may help mental health professionals improve the well-being of immigrants in removal proceedings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Perceived structural vulnerabilities among detained noncitizen immigrants in Minnesota.

Across several decades there has been an unprecedented increase in immigration enforcement including detention and deportation. Immigration detention profoundly impacts those experiencing detention and their family members. An emerging area of research has found that immigrants experience a number of challenges which constrain and limit their decisions, choices, and options for security and integration in the United States due to social, political and structural determinants. These determinants lead to greater structural vulnerabilities among immigrants. The purpose of the current study was to illuminate the perceived vulnerabilities of detained noncitizen immigrants as they are raised and described while attending case hearings at the Bloomington, Minnesota immigration court. Through conducting a thematic analysis of notes derived from third party immigration court observers, three areas of perceived vulnerability were identified. These perceived vulnerabilities include 1) migration and motivations to migrate, 2) structural vulnerabilities (e.g., discrimination, financial insecurity, social ties and family support, stable or fixed residence, English language proficiency, health and mental health) in the US, and 3) challenges in navigating immigration detention. These findings demonstrate that noncitizen immigrants who are undergoing immigration detention are experiencing multiple intersecting vulnerabilities which profoundly impact their lives. Collaborative efforts across sectors are needed to work towards comprehensive immigration reforms including both short-term and long-term solutions to address pressing issues for noncitizens undergoing immigration detention.

Experiences of Latinx Individuals Hospitalized for COVID-19: A Qualitative Study.

Importance: Latinx individuals, particularly immigrants, are at higher risk than non-Latinx White individuals of contracting and dying from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about Latinx experiences with COVID-19 infection and treatment. Objective: To describe the experiences of Latinx individuals who were hospitalized with and survived COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: The qualitative study used semistructured phone interviews of 60 Latinx adults who survived a COVID-19 hospitalization in public hospitals in San Francisco, California, and Denver, Colorado, from March 2020 to July 2020. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis. Data analysis was conducted from May 2020 to September 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Themes and subthemes that reflected patient experiences. Results: Sixty people (24 women and 36 men; mean [SD] age, 48 [12] years) participated. All lived in low-income areas, 47 participants (78%) had more than 4 people in the home, and most (44 participants [73%]) were essential workers. Four participants (9%) could work from home, 12 (20%) had paid sick leave, and 21 (35%) lost their job because of COVID-19. We identified 5 themes (and subthemes) with public health and clinical care implications: COVID-19 was a distant and secondary threat (invincibility, misinformation and disbelief, ingrained social norms); COVID-19 was a compounder of disadvantage (fear of unemployment and eviction, lack of safeguards for undocumented immigrants, inability to protect self from COVID-19, and high-density housing); reluctance to seek medical care (worry about health care costs, concerned about ability to access care if uninsured or undocumented, undocumented immigrants fear deportation); health care system interactions (social isolation and change in hospital procedures, appreciation for clinicians and language access, and discharge with insufficient resources or clinical information); and faith and community resiliency (spirituality, Latinx COVID-19 advocates). Conclusions and Relevance: In interviews, Latinx patients with COVID-19 who survived hospitalization described initial disease misinformation and economic and immigration fears as having driven exposure and delays in presentation. To confront COVID-19 as a compounder of social disadvantage, public health authorities should mitigate COVID-19-related misinformation, immigration fears, and challenges to health care access, as well as create policies that provide work protection and address economic disadvantages.

'A double-edged sword': Perceived benefits and harms of active case-finding for people with presumptive tuberculosis and communities-A qualitative study based on expert interviews.

BACKGROUND: Active case-finding (ACF), also referred to as community-based tuberculosis screening, is a component of the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy. ACF has potential benefits but also harms, which need to be carefully assessed when developing and implementing ACF policies. While empirical evidence on the benefits of ACF is still weak, evidence on the harms is even weaker. This study aimed to explore experts' views on the benefits and harms of ACF for people with presumptive TB and communities. METHODS: This was an exploratory study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 39 experts from international, non-governmental/non-profit organizations, funders, government institutions, international societies, think tanks, universities and research institutions worldwide. Framework analysis was applied. RESULTS: Findings elaborated perceived benefits of ACF, including reaching vulnerable populations, reducing patient costs, helping raise awareness for tuberculosis among individuals and engaging communities, and reducing tuberculosis transmission. Perceived harms included increasing stigma and discrimination, causing false-positive diagnoses, as well as triggering other unintended consequences related to screening for tuberculosis patients, such as deportation of migrants once confirmed to have tuberculosis. Most of the perceived benefits of ACF could be linked to its objective of finding and treating persons with tuberculosis early (theme 1), while ACF was also perceived as a "double-edged sword" and could cause harms, if inappropriately designed and implemented (theme 2). The analysis underlined the importance of considering the benefits and harms of ACF throughout the screening pathway. The study provides new insights into the perceived benefits and harms of ACF from the perspectives of experts in the field. CONCLUSION: This study highlights gaps in the evidence base surrounding ACF and can stimulate further research, debate and analysis regarding the benefits and harms of ACF to inform contextual optimization of design and implementation of ACF strategies.