Abstract
Undocumented Latinx immigrants experience unique factors prior to migration, during migration, and after migration that shape their health. Our review summarizes the limited but growing literature highlighting how exposure to trauma, immigration enforcement, changes to social networks, and discrimination negatively affect the mental and physical health of undocumented Latinx immigrants. We also discuss how policies and social ties can promote their health. We focus on areas of particular concern, including health care, mental health, and HIV. Future research should use interdisciplinary approaches and intersectional frameworks to understand and address health inequities. Conducting research with undocumented Latinx immigrant communities requires community engagement, assurance of confidentiality, and creative recruitment and retention strategies. Recommendations for public health practice include investing in community health centers and organizations to ensure access to health and social services; presenting results with sufficient contextualization to interpret their generalizability; and advocating for federal-, state-, and local-level policy changes that reduce the negative health consequences associated with being undocumented.
Highlights
The Latinx population is the largest and fastest-growing racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, and until recently much of this growth was due to immigration [39]
Most of the undocumented immigrant population is from Mexico and countries in Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras) [21]; their race and ethnicity reflect their countries of origin: 74% are Hispanic or Latinx, 12% are Asian, 7% are white, and 5% are black [96]
While immigration to the United States has slowed in recent years, the undocumented population may continue to grow if programs such as Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are ended [99]
Summary
The Latinx population is the largest and fastest-growing racial/ethnic minority group in the United States, and until recently much of this growth was due to immigration [39] (see the sidebar titled Latinx). Studies with Latinx immigrants have shown that garnering legal status, such as asylum, can result in access to health insurance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, education loans, and job placement assistance, which can lead to decreased HIV risk [93, 140] Another promising strategy for undocumented Latinx living with HIV is to provide navigation and support for engaging in HIV care using community health workers or other clinic staff [119]. Research on health promotion programs targeting all Latinx immigrants has shown that this population can benefit from programs that validate their lived experiences, help them cope with migration-related loss and trauma, incorporate cultural strengths, and build social ties with other immigrants [43, 88, 111] Future evaluations of these programs should include undocumented immigrants and report findings across legal status subgroups to enhance the generalizability and validation of research findings. Local and state policy changes can be initiated through coordinated advocacy campaigns, including community organizations, health departments, elected officials, law enforcement, and business partners (38; http://www.washtenawid.com)
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