Editorial: The Impact of Policy on Children’s Mental Health: The Case of Immigration

Abstract

Most of the policy debates in the United States center around ideological and political beliefs. This is particularly the case in regard to immigration, specifically undocumented immigration, where there is much polarization of viewpoints. The focus of this debate is largely on the direct or material impact of such policies on reducing or accommodating immigration. These policies largely erect or lower legal or socioeconomic barriers for immigrants and as a consequence hope to impact decisions to pursue entry into the United States. Though immigration is technically a federal responsibility, many states have weighed in with state-level policies on both sides of the debate. This is not unusual for many areas of national policy where there are regional differences, which can set up comparative studies of policy analysis and impact.