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Changes in the social and political landscape between 2011 and 2018, with dramatic events such as changes in DACA rules, new presidential leadership, immigration bills and more, have left a major threat looming: expulsion.
The impact of this threat on the mental health of some undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States has been studied before, but new research has found that it’s not just undocumented immigrants who feel at risk.
Analyzing data from 2011 to 2018, Amy Johnson, assistant professor of sociology at Lehigh University, and a team of research collaborators found an increase over time in psychological distress among Latinos, both citizens and non-citizens. citizens, in the United States.
The study, “Threat of deportation predicts psychological distress among Latino citizens and noncitizens, 2011 to 2018,” co-authored by Johnson, Christopher Levesque, assistant professor of law, society and sociology at Kenyon College, Neil A. Lewis, Jr., associate professor of communication and social behavior at Cornell University, and Asad L. Asad, assistant professor of sociology at Stanford University, is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Looking at Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), for example, researchers found that when President Obama announced a temporary reprieve from deportation for some undocumented immigrants, it eased the distress of naturalized citizens.
This same pattern occurred following the announcement of Deferred Action for Americans’ Parents (DAPA). Conversely, the dramatic societal event of the Trump presidency triggered symptoms of anxiety and depression among Latino noncitizens, thus worsening their well-being.
Although changes to the federal administration and its policies have direct impacts, presidential elections are not the only ones that matter, according to the study.
Beyond the federal level, researchers find that everyday environments related to immigration and immigration enforcement also impact psychological distress. For example, ICE detention requests to local police, or even online conversations.
“The way people talk about immigration and the importance of immigration and deportation in everyday life is potentially as important to disrupt as these more dramatic changes and events, like the election of Trump or DACA,” Johnson says.
It is important to note that U.S.-born Latinos are not subject to deportation, but these events also impact their psychological health. Using Google Trends, researchers show that U.S.-born Latinos experienced higher distress in periods when Google searches for topics related to deportation and immigration increased.
Latinos, regardless of their citizenship status, react negatively to this feeling of threat of deportation, the researchers find. But the exact path by which this happens depends on citizenship status.
“The fact that racial and ethnic divisions are so great that even citizens feel the threat of deportation and the distress related to the threat of deportation is really striking,” Johnson says.
Although the impact of the threat of deportation could become more pronounced during the highly polarizing 2024 election year, researchers emphasize that the solution should not be seen solely as federal policy. Creating a sense of cultural belonging is also essential.
“We are showing concretely that America’s deportation-driven approach to immigration is psychologically harmful, even for American citizens,” Johnson said. “Going forward, we can advocate for policy change around expulsion, but we can also advocate for cultural practices of inclusion and belonging.”
More information:
Threat of deportation predicts psychological distress among Latino citizens and noncitizens, 2011 to 2018, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2306554121. doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2306554121
Provided by Lehigh University
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