The Spillover Consequences of an Enforcement-First U.S. Immigration Regime

Abstract

In our introduction to this special issue, we describe how the immigration enforcement-first regime has consequences that extend beyond the supposed target population of undocumented immigrants and spill over to other groups, including legal permanent residents, U.S.-born Latinos/as, and other U.S.-born residents. The papers in this special issue address whether and how spillover effects exist and the form that they take. Often they include social, psychological, and in some cases, physical harm, and together they illustrate that directly or indirectly, U.S. policy’s emphasis on interior and external border enforcement affects all of us.

Household fear of deportation in relation to chronic stressors and salivary proinflammatory cytokines in Mexican-origin families post-SB 1070

“…More recently, sociologists have considered IEP as institutionalized racism because they not only stem from “colorblind” policies that are not specifically targeting racial/ethnic minorities, but encourage racialized practices among law enforcement ( Aranda & Vaquera, 2015 ). Moreover, researchers have documented through qualitative research how IEP create disparities in these groups, particularly among Latino and Mexican-origin persons ( Aranda et al, 2014 , Dreby, 2015 ; Suro, Suárez-Orozco, & Canizales, 2015 ). Indirectly, some states also restrict unauthorized immigrants from participating in publicly-funded programs, which may restrain mixed-status families, or families with at least one unauthorized immigrant, from regularizing their status and achieving economic mobility ( Yoshikawa et al, 2008 , Dreby, 2015 , Suro et al, 2015 ).…”

Applying a Community Violence Framework to Understand the Impact of Immigration Enforcement Threat on Latino Children

“…The high proportion of Latinos apprehended and living under the threat of apprehension places an enormously disproportionate burden on Latino communities across the U.S. (Armenta, 2017;Magaña-Salgado, 2014). Additionally, the national immigration climate is characterized by a dehumanization of undocumented ("illegal") immigrants (Epps & Furman, 2016;Esses, Medianu, & Lawson, 2013;Kteily & Bruneau, 2017), which has spillover ramifications for Latino communities-regardless of individuals' citizenship status (Aranda, Menjívar, & Donato, 2014;Armenta, 2017;Asad & Clair, 2018;Szkupinski Quiroga, Medina, & Glick, 2014;Vargas et al, 2017). Research from cognitive science and sociology indicates that, in the minds of many U.S. citizens, undocumented immigrants are considered "despised, out-group members" (Massey, 2007;p.14).…”

A life-course perspective on legal status stratification and health

“…Another example of linked lives in the context of legal status stratification and health that merits further attention are the ‘spillover’ effects of policies on health and healthcare for immigrants in general, or members of larger racial/ethnic minority groups ( Aranda et al, 2014 , Hacker et al, 2011 ). The spillover effects related to concern about deportation can also be seen among foreign-born respondents to a 2002–2003 nationally representative survey of Latino residents in the U.S.: 11% of foreign-born respondents reported either thinking they might be deported if they went to a social or government agency and/or avoided using health services due to fear of immigration authorities; 2% of naturalized citizens and nearly 19% of those holding other legal statuses reported this worry.…”

“…Undocumented immigrants, Lawful Permanent Residents with less than 5 years of residence, and many temporary status groups are not only excluded from public benefits, but vulnerable to deportation ( ICE, 2015 ). Further, there are likely ‘spillover’ effects of these enforcement activities on individuals across legal status categories, including increased questioning and harassment about legal status by police and potential employers or concern about the deportation of friends and family members ( Aranda, Menjivar, & Donato, 2014 ). Such experiences may contribute to acute and chronic stress, with adverse consequences for health outcomes for significant portions of the population that are immigrants or have immigrant family members.…”