How did we get here and where do we go from here?: Supporting undocumented students through a pandemic.

Abstract

Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, exposing the influence of decades of policies that have under-resourced and marginalized these communities. The history of segregation and inadequate funding in education has been exacerbated by the pandemic, compounding the educational inequities already present in the United States. The intersection of this inequity alongside immigration policies over the past years have led the undocumented student population to be adversely impacted. The lack of access to health care and social safety net programs, fear of deportation, and an over reliance on technology for schooling leaves a large segment of students vulnerable for adverse academic, emotional, and social outcomes. This paper will trace the historical path of educational segregation, immigration policies, and how these led to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on undocumented students. It will discuss interventions for undocumented students within an antioppressive ecological framework and the ethical responsibilities that school-based mental health professionals have to support undocumented students to fulfill their highest potential, manage the emotional toll of the pandemic, and advocate for change in immigration and educational policies. Impact and ImplicationsThe authors trace the history of segregation, inadequate educational funding, immigration policies, and lack of access to health and mental health care that have led undocumented students to be especially impacted during COVID-19. Readers may find future directions and recommendations for school mental health professionals as exciting opportunities to expand their roles including antioppressive work including advocating for human rights-based immigration reform and equitable funding.

Conducting school-based research with newcomer immigrant adolescents: Challenges and solutions.

“…The preceding research has informed models for addressing the mental health and academic needs of immigrant youth, including NIA, in schools (e.g., Aganza et al, 2019). For instance, systematically integrating prevention and intervention efforts across three tiers of support within the school setting, Arora et al (2021) proposed a three-tiered model of school-based mental health services for IOY, while DeLuca-Acconi et al (2022) put forth an antioppressive framework to supporting undocumented students in schools. In view of the quickly growing immigrant population within U.S. schools and the unique needs of NIA, such research represents only a start; accordingly, calls for additional research with this underserved population have been made (Patel et al, 2023).…”