Category

Immigrant Families Research

“It’s Horrible to Live Like This”: Immigration Policy’s Real-Time Impact on Young Children

By | Child Well-Being, Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

“It’s Horrible to Live Like This”: Immigration Policy’s Real-Time Impact on Young Children

Juliana Zhou & Elisa Minoff, Center for the Study of Social Policy (July 16, 2025)

This brief details interviews with child care providers who report that the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda is causing families to withdraw toddlers from care, children to experience heightened anxiety, and providers to fear for their own safety while trying to support immigrant families.

State Policies Matter for the Well-Being of Immigrant Parents & the Academic Achievement of Their Young Children

By | Child Well-Being, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight, State Policies

State Policies Matter for the Well-Being of Immigrant Parents & the Academic Achievement of Their Young Children

Kevin Ferreira van Leer, Caitlin Lombardi, Rachel Chazan-Cohen, Vanessa Esquivel, Prisila Isais, and Anne Berset; UConn Collaboratory on School & Child Health (May 2025)

This research brief reviews the impact of state policy exclusions on immigrant family well-being.

Shifting Immigration Policies Jeopardize Immigrant Families with Children

By | Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research

Shifting Immigration Policies Jeopardize Immigrant Families with Children

Dulce Gonzalez, Hamutal Bernstein, Jennifer M. Haley, & Genevieve M. Kenney; Urban Institute (May 29, 2025)

This brief examines the challenges immigrant families with children face in accessing basic housing, food, and healthcare needs, along with their immigration-related fears about using services and concerns about deportation and policy changes.

Living in an Undocumented Immigrant Family Under the Second Trump Administration: Fear, Uncertainty, and Impacts on Health and Well-Being

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

Living in an Undocumented Immigrant Family Under the Second Trump Administration: Fear, Uncertainty, and Impacts on Health and Well-Being

Drishti Pillai, Isabelle Valdes, Alisha Rao, Samantha Artiga, Liz Hamel, and Shannon Schumacher; Kaiser Family Foundation (May 8, 2025)

This report shares findings from focus groups with undocumented Hispanic adults or adults living with an undocumented immigrant to provide insight into the experiences of these families amid the current environment.

“Families getting separated feels bad”: Latinx children’s perceptions of the immigration climate and socialization process

By | Child Well-Being, Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

“Families getting separated feels bad”: Latinx children’s perceptions of the immigration climate and socialization process

Cecilia Ayon, Briseida Salazar, & Kaitlyn M. Han; Family Relations (March 7, 2025)

This study examined the emotional responses and the immigration socialization process for children in California navigating the immigration policy climate.

Repealing Birthright Citizenship Would Significantly Increase the Size of the U.S. Unauthorized Population

By | Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Relief, Legal/Law, Research, Research Highlight

Repealing Birthright Citizenship Would Significantly Increase the Size of the U.S. Unauthorized Population

Jennifer Van Hook, Michael Fix, and Julia Gelatt; Migration Policy Institute (May 2025)

New research by the Migration Policy Institute outlines the catastrophic effect that Trump’s Executive Order repealing birthright citizenship would have on immigrant families and children, including stripping citizenship from approximately 255,000 U.S.-born children annually and adding millions to the unauthorized population over the coming decades.

The impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health: systematic review

By | Child Well-Being, Detention, Immigrant Families Research, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

The impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health: systematic review

Isabella Priestley et al., The British Journal of Psychiatry (April 10, 2025)

This systematic review synthesized data on the detrimental impact of immigration detention on children’s mental health, including high rates of depression and PTSD, underscoring the need for alternative immigration policies that eliminate the detention of children and families.

Central American and Mexican Mothers and Youth Migration-Related Separations and Reunifications

By | Family Separation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigrant Youth, Research, Research Highlight, Trauma

Central American and Mexican Mothers and Youth Migration-Related Separations and Reunifications

Jodi Berger Cardoso, Arlene Bjugstad, et al., Journal of Loss and Trauma (April 5, 2025)

This study explores the challenges faced by Mexican and Central American mothers and youth reunifying in the U.S. after migration-related separations, highlighting the ongoing trauma, ambiguous loss, migratory grief, and attachment disruptions that impact their relationships, while also noting mothers’ efforts to repair these bonds.

Immigrant Families Express Worry as They Prepare for Policy Changes

By | Deportation, Immigrant Families Research, Immigration Enforcement, Research

Immigrant Families Express Worry as They Prepare for Policy Changes

Hamutal Bernstein, Dulce Gonzalez, & Diana Guelespe, Urban Institute (March 12, 2025)

This research brief provides insight into immigrant families’ experiences in the wake of the 2024 election, including worry about engaging in essential activities, deportation concerns, and taking protective steps to prepare for a potential changes to immigration status.

Open