Category

Research Highlight

Determinants of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Immigrant Caregivers and Their Children in a US-Mexico Border Community

By | Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight

Determinants of Mental Health Service Utilization Among Immigrant Caregivers and Their Children in a US-Mexico Border Community

Carolina Villamil Grest, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Irene Casey, & Sophia Sepp; Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health (December 23, 2025)

A study of 240 immigrant families in New Mexico found that help-seeking attitudes and access to coordinated health and social services are key drivers of mental health service use, highlighting the need for culturally informed outreach and integrated care for immigrant families in the border region.

‘Why Is This Happening to Us?’ Daily Number of Kids in ICE Detention Jumps 6x Under Trump

By | Detention, ICE, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight

‘Why Is This Happening to Us?’ Daily Number of Kids in ICE Detention Jumps 6x Under Trump

Anna Flagg and Shannon Heffernan, The Marshall Project (January 29, 2026)

According to this Marshall Project analysis, the number of children held in ICE detention has surged more than sixfold under the second Trump administration, from an average of 25 children per day under Biden to around 170.

The US Deportation System: History, Impacts, and New Empirical Research

By | Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight

The US Deportation System: History, Impacts, and New Empirical Research

Caitlin Patler & Bradford Jones, The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences (November 2025)

This article reviews multidisciplinary research on the U.S. deportation system and its implications for individuals, families, communities, and the U.S. economy while identifying gaps and directions for future research.

Considerations for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the Child Welfare Reform Debate

By | Child Welfare System Research, Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors

Considerations for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the Child Welfare Reform Debate

Zayna Lyon, Kerri Evans, Linda-Jeanne M. Mack, and Morgan Pardue-Kim; Families in Society (February 8, 2025)

This article examines how the debate over abolishing or reforming the child welfare system has overlooked unaccompanied immigrant children served by ORR, calling for greater access to ORR data and more participatory research to inform policy and practice.

 

New Frameworks for Language Access: Tracking the Expansion and Features of State and Local Laws and Policies,

By | Immigrant Families Research, Language Issues, Research, Research Highlight

New Frameworks for Language Access: Tracking the Expansion and Features of State and Local Laws and Policies

Jacob Hofstetter, Migration Policy Institute (January 2026)

This report examines the growing importance of state and local language access policies as federal protections weaken, finding that these efforts are vital for meeting the everyday communication needs of governments and their communities.

The Fear is Everywhere: U.S. High School Principals Report Widespread Effects of Immigration Enforcement

By | Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight

The Fear is Everywhere: U.S. High School Principals Report Widespread Effects of Immigration Enforcement

John Rogers and Joseph Kahne, UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access (December 2025)

This report, based on a national survey of 606 high school principals ,examines how intensified immigration enforcement during the early months of Trump’s second term affected U.S. schools.

Impacts of Immigration Policies on Families

By | Highlighted Resources, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight

Impacts of Immigration Policies on Families

Leisy J. Abrego & Lucia León, Annual Review of Sociology (January 23, 2025)

This review examines how the complex U.S. immigration system affects immigrant families’ access to opportunity, health, education, and safety. It urges scholars to study impacts from the migration journey through settlement while centering ethics in research with families made vulnerable by immigration laws.

Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States

By | Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight

Changing Origins, Rising Numbers: Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States

Julia Gelatt, Ariel G. Ruiz Soto and James D. Bachmeier, Migration Policy Institute (October 2025)

This fact sheet provides an updated analysis of the undocumented immigrant population in the United States, showing that 6.3 million children live with at least one undocumented parent, and the majority of these children are U.S. citizens.

Newcomer Immigrant Youth in the Bay Area: Uplifting Voices, Identifying Solutions

By | Immigrant Families Research, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight

Newcomer Immigrant Youth in the Bay Area: Uplifting Voices, Identifying Solutions

Melissa Adamson, National Center for Youth Law (2025)

This report lifts up the voices of newcomer youth and service providers in the Bay Area to reveal how systemic barriers deepen inequities despite California’s strong immigrant commitments, and highlights key challenges, recommendations, and an overview of state-funded programs serving these youth.

Making ‘Best interest’ visible: the role of frontline staff in the care of unaccompanied children

By | Foster Care, Immigrant Youth, Immigration Relief, Research, Research Highlight, Unaccompanied Minors, Unaccompanied Minors Research

Making ‘Best interest’ visible: the role of frontline staff in the care of unaccompanied children

Benjamin Roth, John Doering-White, Breanne Grace, Jessica H. Darrow, Aimee Herring, and Stefan Liew; Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (August 25, 2025)

This study analyzes how ORR shelter staff interpret and implement “best interest” standards for unaccompanied children, finding that narrow compliance measures may obscure children’s lived experiences and affect their perceived deservingness of legal relief in immigration court.

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