The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on Latinx mixed-status immigrant families in a restrictive immigration policy climate in the Southeast

Abstract

Immigration-related policies rooted in structural racism negatively affect the wellbeing of Latinx immigrant families with undocumented family members, and these harms may be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To explore these intersecting challenges and identify opportunities for intervention, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews with frontline workers serving Latinx immigrants during the pandemic. Through these interviews, we sought to understand frontline workers' perceptions of the role of immigrant-related policies on the psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mixed-status Latinx immigrant families in Georgia. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, with Spanish-language interviews translated to English. Transcripts were double-coded and codes were analyzed following a grounded-theory informed analysis from which we identified three themes: 1) “Forgotten from the system”: Impacts of existing exclusionary policies and structural barriers on undocumented immigrants were magnified during the pandemic, 2) “Continual Stress”: The compounding psychosocial impacts of the policy environment and COVID-19, and 3) Advocating for the rights and wellbeing of immigrant families in a shifting policy landscape. These themes reflected the multiple interlocking systems that exclude undocumented and mixed-status families from social services and healthcare, create fear and stress, and harm the wellbeing of families. They also reveal community assets to respond to emergent and long-term challenges faced by families, though gaps remain due to existent state and federal policies. Findings from frontline workers demonstrate the need to address inequitable interlocking systems with policy reform, including to housing, healthcare, and transportation to include undocumented immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Future research on inclusionary policy recommendations made by frontline workers to improve wellbeing of mixed-status families is needed.