Children Of Undocumented Immigrants Research Articles

Well-being and contexts of development of U.S. citizen children in Mexico following parental deportation or voluntary relocation.

When undocumented immigrant parents are deported from the United States, they must decide whether or not to take their U.S.-born and undocumented immigrant children with them, often to countries the children have never visited or know little about. Other parents do not wait to be deported by the government and decide to relocate to their home countries with or without their children. Both sets of families experience relocation but under different circumstances. These differences deserve exploration to understand the psychological and emotional effects on children's well-being. In this cross-sectional study, we explored differences in self-concept, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, as well as the perception of the home, school, and neighborhood contexts of 178 U.S. citizen children (USCC) whose parents returned to Mexico forcibly and voluntarily. Through snowball sampling, we recruited the sample from two bordering Mexican states, Michoacán and the State of Mexico. Significant estimated marginal mean differences in internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, unhappiness, as well as parent-child conflict and support were found between USCC who relocated due to a parental deportation and those USCC whose parents relocated to Mexico voluntarily. Implications for clinicians in Mexico and the United States include recognizing the reasons, timing, decisions, events, and contexts of relocation. Findings can help inform immigration policies, practices, and future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Slaves, Migrants and the Stateless

Proponents of barring the children of undocumented immigrants from birthright citizenship allege that the United States (‘US’) Constitution’s 14th Amendment was intended to give full citizenship to former slaves and their progeny, and not to benefit the children of foreign-born people. A real-world example that illustrates the dangers of so restricting birthright citizenship is the Dominican Republic, where legal measures have already excluded the children of out-of-status immigrants (who are mostly of Haitian ancestry) from eligibility for birthright citizenship. The effect of this has not been ethnically cleansing Haitian descendants from the Dominican Republic so much as confining them within the country as a stateless underclass of people. The Dominican case therefore shows that US opponents of birthright citizenship for the children of out-of-status non-citizens must answer to the danger that their proposal would create a legally approved hereditary underclass on US soil, more than a century after the abolition of chattel slavery.

Mechanism mapping: A qualitative study of how different forms of instability mediate the relationship between legal status and immigrant mental well-being

Scholarship on undocumented immigrants has linked irregular forms of legal status to depressed mental health experiences and outcomes. The children of undocumented immigrants have also been shown to report mental health issues. More regular forms of legal status, like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), have been shown to improve psychological outcomes for migrants and their children. Though the relationship between legal status and mental well-being has appeared again and again in the literature, less work has explored the mechanisms through which legal status impacts mental well-being. This paper aims to help detail this link by drawing on 50 in-depth interviews with DACA-recipient and undocumented (DACA-ineligible) immigrants conducted from 2017 to 2018 (pre- and post-DACA rescindment). Thematic analysis identified three forms of instability (nation-state, residential and household) that mediate the influence of legal status on the mental well-being of immigrants and their families. Coping with nation-state, residential and household changes depleted immigrant's mental and emotional resources, hurting their mental well-being. More regular forms of legal status (like DACA) suppressed the occurrence of instability, bolstering the mental well-being reports of DACA-recipients compared to their undocumented counterparts. Yet the program's rescission in September 2017, spiked the threat of future instability for DACA-respondents leading their negative mental well-being reports to echo those of undocumented respondents. We propose that experiencing or even expecting these forms of instability to occur mediates the influence of legal status on mental well-being. Findings shed light on how legal status influences mental well-being and contribute to the immigrant mental health literature.

미등록 이주아동의 기본권 보장에 관한 연구

About 20,000 undocumented immigrant children live in Korea, but the fundamental rights for their lives are not guaranteed. In particular, they are suffering from problems such as birth registration, the infringement of the right to health and education. With regard to the birth registration of undocumented immigrant children, european countries stipulate that the birth of all children in that country can be registered regardless of their parents’ status and automatically issue birth certificates without further action. Since the universal birth registration system and issuance of related documents are the basic premise for respecting children's dignity as human beings, Korea also needs to introduce such procedures as soon as possible. Regarding the right to health of undocumented immigrant children, providing daily medical services other than emergency medical services is considered a social security area, but children's health is the most significant element for life maintenance and whole-person development, so medical access should be guaranteed regardless of the legality of residence status. We need to guarantee minimum medical access of undocumented children to maintain their health through providing emergency medical services, primary and secondary medical care services to the same extent as Korean children, or providing cost support. And in respect of guaranteeing undocumented immigrant children's right to education, we should strive to ensure that undocumented immigrant children receive education without discrimination in accordance with international society’s good practice of explicitly stipulating all children's right to education including undocumented immigrant children.

Leveraging protections, navigating punishments: How adult children of undocumented immigrants mediate illegality in Latinx families

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this study is to examine how adult children of undocumented immigrants manage parental illegality in Latinx immigrant families.BackgroundThere are 16.7 million people who live with at least one undocumented family member in the U.S. today. Scholars have documented how children of undocumented immigrants can help navigate the negative consequences of illegality in their families. However, less is known about how the immigration status of these youth shapes the support they provide to their undocumented parents.MethodThis study draws on 41 in‐depth semi‐structured interviews with 19 DACAmented and 22 U.S.‐born citizen college students (18–27) who had at least one undocumented parent. Interviews were collected via snowball sampling technique at a large research university in Southern California.ResultsThe findings suggest that citizen and DACAmented college students engage in distinct strategies when mediating illegality for their undocumented parents. Citizens attempt to leverage their protected legal status to help their undocumented parents become Lawful Permanent Residents and step in during situations where threats of deportation are imminent. DACAmented young adults draw on their experience with legal precarity to help their undocumented parents navigate punishments associated with their immigration status.ConclusionThis research uncovers how parents' precarious legal status contributes to the intergenerational transmission of disadvantage among citizen and DACAmented young adults—and how these youths try to mediate the harms of illegality.ImplicationsThe strategies adult children of undocumented immigrants implement to negotiate illegality in their families highlights the need for policy addressing the legal vulnerability of undocumented and mixed status families.

Everyday Acts of Resistance: Mexican, Undocumented Immigrant Children and Adolescents Navigating Oppression With Mentor Support

Study aims were to examine oppression in education among Mexican immigrant youth with undocumented status and how mentors and other adults helped them resist oppression. Qualitative, narrative one‐on‐one interviews were conducted with 17 Mexican immigrant young adults with undocumented or DACA status in the U.S. Participants provided retrospective accounts from childhood through older adolescence. Analyses revealed critical junctures in which participants experienced oppression: (1) developmental milestones and school events, (2) college application process, (3) unforeseen life events, and (4) incidents of racial discrimination. Mentors and other adults helped participants to resist oppression through advocacy, social capital efforts, role modeling, and emotional, instrumental, and financial support. This study fills gaps in the literature on mentoring and immigrant youth who are undocumented.

California's Health4All Kids Expansion And Health Insurance Coverage Among Low-Income Noncitizen Children.

More than one-third of US children receive coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), but undocumented immigrant children are not eligible for public coverage in most states. California's May 2016 Health4All Kids coverage expansion allowed children with qualifying household incomes to enroll in Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid and CHIP program, regardless of their immigration status. We examined the effects of California's expansion on noncitizen children's uninsurance rates and sources of coverage, using data from the 2012-18 American Community Survey. California's expansion was associated with significant increases of about 9 and 12percentage points in any coverage and public coverage, respectively. The estimated increase in any coverage translates to a 34percent decline in the uninsurance rate relative to the preexpansion rate among noncitizen children (26percent). Counties with an existing program to reduce children's uninsurance rates experienced an increase in coverage earlier than those without a program in effect before the statewide expansion.

Disrupting the Traffic Stop–to-Deportation Pipeline: The New York State Greenlight Law’s Intent and Implementation

This article analyzes the traffic stop–to-deportation pipeline in New York State, how it harms children of immigrants, and how New York’s Greenlight Law seeks to disrupt it but has been hobbled by an implementation gap. It first establishes the phenomenon of the traffic stop–to-deportation pipeline by documenting how traffic stops are a key cause of deportations in New York State. Second, it analyzes how the pipeline harms (mostly US citizen) children of undocumented immigrants in New York State, who are more than 7 percent (more than 300,000) of New York State’s children. The pipeline makes these children fear and mistrust the police; harms their educational, social, and brain development; and consumes family income with the Mexican driver tax (costs incurred because parents could not get a driver’s license). Third, the article analyzes how the Greenlight Law should help remedy these harms, and how an implementation gap leaves many parents and children vulnerable to the pipeline. The implementation gap is partly due to the pandemic, but also driven by political and other factors that could be addressed by policy. Finally, the article analyzes how variation in implementing the Greenlight Law could leave the pipeline undisrupted and lead to unequal protection of the law by place in New York State. The article makes policy recommendations for stronger enactment to reduce the pipeline’s harms.

Healthy Communities: Shifting Toward Inclusive Immigration Policy.

In this issue of Pediatrics , Cholera et a1 used a controlled interrupted time series design to examine differences in health care use of Latinx children as it relates to federal immigration policy enacted in 2017. Electronic medical record data from four major health care systems in North Carolina were analyzed before and after restrictive immigration policy was enacted after the 2016 election. Among Latinx children in the outpatient setting, they found a sustained increase in visit cancellation for the uninsured subgroup, a proxy for undocumented immigrant children in North Carolina.1 One aim of the study was to explore whether restrictive immigration policy resulted in a “chilling effect” for all Latino children. A chilling effect is defined as a deterring effect on the behavior of an individual or group through fear of legal action.2 Widely used during the 1996 welfare reform, today, like then, it refers to immigrant families’ decision not to participate in the use of public benefits and services out of fear, confusion, or perceived threat. This phenomenon is of particular concern for the public charge rule changes that were enacted in 2019 (but leaked to the public … Address correspondence to J. Raul Gutierrez, MD, Children’s Health Center, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, 1001 Potrero Ave, Floor 06, Room 6E07, San Francisco, CA 94110. E-mail: juan.gutierrez{at}ucsf.edu

Do Co-ethnic concentrated neighborhoods protect children with undocumented parents? Focusing on child behavioral functioning

Undocumented immigrants concentrate in ethnic enclaves, but little is known about the implications of living in such neighborhoods for children of undocumented immigrants. Using data on Mexican-origin children from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey and the decennial census, this paper examines the influence of co-ethnic concentrated neighborhoods on children's behavioral functioning, and the extent to which parental nativity and documentation status moderate the neighborhood effects. Multilevel linear regression models show that the proportion of co-ethnics in the neighborhood apparently has no influence on Mexican-origin children. However, cross-level interactions reveal that the neighborhood context has differential effects by parental documentation status. The higher the percentage of co-ethnics in the neighborhood, the lower (better) the externalizing scores for children of undocumented immigrants, a pattern not observed for children of US-born or documented parents. The mechanism through which co-ethnic enclaves benefit children of undocumented Mexican immigrants deserves future research.

미등록 이주아동의 체류할 수 있는 권리에 관한 UNCRC의 적용과 한계

본 연구는 미등록 이주아동이 한국에서 체류할 수 있는 권리를 보장하기 위하여 이들의 출생신고와 부모에 의한 양육에 초점을 두고 국내법 관련조항을 UNCRC 7조의 관점에서 적용하고 그 한계를 규명하는 것을 목적으로 하였다. 체류할 수 있는 권리는 이주아동의 보육과 교육서비스를 받을 권리의 기반이 된다는 점에서 중요하다. 한국은 미등록 이주아동의 출생신고를 명시적으로 금지하는 방법이 아니라, 불법체류중인 그들 부모가 자녀들의 출생신고를 시도하기 위하여 정부기관에 노출되면, 강제송환 되도록 하는 조치를 통하여 미등록 이주아동의 체류를 금지하고 있다. 아동의 발달과 인권을 고려할 때 미등록 이주아동의 출생신고와 부모의 국내 체류허용은 동시에 해결해야 하는 사인이다. 이러한 문제를 이미 경험했던 독일의 관용처분은 이에 대한 해법을 제시하였다. 불법체류 중인 외국인에게 관용처분이 적합하다고 판단될 경우, 본국체류를 합법적으로 허용하되 출국조치가 필요할 경우 즉시강제를 시도하는 것이다. 아동과 부모를 함께 본국으로 송환하는 것이 아니라 즉시 강제 긴급으로 아동이 친생부모와 분리되지 않도록 조치하는 것이다. 우리나라의 경우, 불법체류 외국인의 인권을 반영하는 관련 법률의 개정작업이 요구된다.

Introduction: family togetherness and children of migrants in the twenty-first-century China

This past summer, US President Trump administration’s policy of separating undocumented immigrant children from their parents drew intense criticism from many, including the United Nations Human Ri...

“We don't talk about undocumented status…We talk about helping children”: How School Leaders Shape School Climate for Undocumented Immigrants

The racial/ethnic tensions, policies, and practices in society can be mirrored in spaces and institutions like schools. In schools, sociopolitical discourses can be reproduced and protected in institutional policies. One way K-12 [i] leaders can initiate change and limit marginalization is by creating a school environment that accepts and integrates students regardless of legal status.. This study investigate how K-12 school leaders influence the school climate to enhance receptiveness for undocumented students, and the children of undocumented immigrants. Study findings come from a CTA of nine school leaders in K-12 schools in two urban districts in Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border. Findings demonstrate that leaders acted to increase student performance, sense of belonging at school, and to enhance student integration and participation in school as paths to a welcoming school climate. Their talk revealed they used practices and strategies to reduce barriers between home and schooling cultures.

Creating Social Justice: A Conversation with Julia Álvarez

In this interview, Julia Álvarez shares her insights on the power of storytelling to overturn political injustices, such as the one suffered by the Dominican people, and in particular by the Mirabal sisters, under General Rafael Trujillo’s thirty–one years of dictatorship. The writer also offers a compelling vision of community engagement through the creation of a literary space in which issues affecting the Latino population in the United States can be explored. Álvarez reveals the importance of the imagination in envisioning a distinct narrative space where the effects of NAFTA on undocumented Mexican farmer workers or the challenges faced by the children of undocumented immigrants are brought to life through the singularity of her characters. She particularly stresses her commitment to creating a multiplicity of voices and approaches in order to provoke an independent but well-rounded discussion of the conflicting perspectives on these issues.

Creating Social Justice: A Conversation with Julia Álvarez

In this interview, Julia Álvarez shares her insights on the power of storytelling to overturn political injustices, such as the one suffered by the Dominican people, and in particular by the Mirabal sisters, under General Rafael Trujillo’s thirty–one years of dictatorship. The writer also offers a compelling vision of community engagement through the creation of a literary space in which issues affecting the Latino population in the United States can be explored. Álvarez reveals the importance of the imagination in envisioning a distinct narrative space where the effects of NAFTA on undocumented Mexican farmer workers or the challenges faced by the children of undocumented immigrants are brought to life through the singularity of her characters. She particularly stresses her commitment to creating a multiplicity of voices and approaches in order to provoke an independent but well-rounded discussion of the conflicting perspectives on these issues.

The Education and Employment Effects of DACA, In-State Tuition and Financial Aid for Undocumented Immigrants

Many undocumented immigrants come to the U.S. as children. Undocumented immigrant children have a legal right to attend free public primary and secondary schools. However, in most states undocumented immigrants are treated as out-of-state students in public colleges and universities, and are therefore required to pay substantially higher tuition than other state residents. Since 2001, 21 of 50 U.S. states have implemented policies that allow undocumented immigrants to qualify for in-state resident tuition (ISRT) at public colleges and universities. In 12 of these states undocumented immigrants are also eligible for financial aid. In this study we present strong evidence that both ISRT policies and access to financial aid significantly increase the college enrollment and graduation rates of undocumented immigrants but have no impact on the college enrollment or graduation rates of U.S.-born youth. Another important change in immigration policy that affects many undocumented immigrant children is the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). DACA allows undocumented individuals who came to the U.S. as children to obtain legal employment. The potential of being able to work legally in the United States could represent a significant increase in earnings as well as a substantial increase in the perceived benefits of higher education. Our findings present evidence that DACA led to an increase in youth employment and a decrease in college enrollment rates. Further, we find no evidence that the introduction of DACA reduced or increased the positive impact of ISRT and financial aid policies.

Non-Citizen Mexican Youth in US Higher Education: A Closer Look at the Relationship between State Tuition Policies and College Enrollment

This paper examines state policies that extend or deny in-state tuition to children of undocumented immigrants in the United States. Using the Current Population Survey (1997–2010), we assess changes in college enrollment among Mexican-born non-citizens — a proxy for the undocumented population. In contrast to previous analyses, we find that policies extending in-state tuition to undocumented youth do not directly affect rates of college enrollment. However, we find that Mexican-born non-citizen youth residing in states that deny in-state tuition have a 12.1 percentage point lower probability of being enrolled in college than their peers living in states with no such policies.

America's Disposable Youth: Undocumented Delinquent Juveniles

Through discriminatory rhetoric state and local officials construct delinquent juvenile immigrant youth as the embodiment of a threat to public safety and American values. Accordingly, alleged delinquent undocumented immigrant children who have spent the majority of their lives in the United States, are subjected to discrimination and exclusionary practices, which enable lessened protections under the law. This article critically analyzes how undocumented delinquent youth, mainly Latino males, are constructed through the various narratives of immigrant children that are perpetuated by the media and policymakers, and how this impacts their treatment within the juvenile justice and immigration systems. Central to this analysis is how the immigrant children’s multiple identities of race, class, gender and socio-economic status intersect and impact the Latino delinquent immigrant child’s interactions within these legal institutions. The article examines how increased interior immigration enforcement through the creation of state and local policies for the referral of delinquent immigrant youth to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement to begin removal proceedings. In examining state and local policies, the article considers the inherent bias and the targeting of particular groups that may develop from varied state and local policies that are not uniform and based on the discretion of political actors. Overall, this article takes a critical look at the contrasting ways in which vulnerable undocumented immigrant youth are defined within these legal systems and how the “othering” of Latino male youth facilitates decreased guarantees of substantive legal protections and due process rights, which reinforce existing hierarchies and stereotypes.

Under the Law

The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to an education for undocumented immigrants, but a string of U.S. Supreme Court decisions restricts states’ ability to deny resident children access to public education. But the landmark ruling in Plyler v. Doe, which pave the way for undocumented immigrant children to access public school, could be overturned or narrowed by the current U.S. Supreme Court.

From Barbies to Boycotts: How Immigration Raids in Arizona Created a Ten-Year Old Activist

Increasingly hostile and unpredictable immigration policies can have traumatizing consequences for children of undocumented immigrants. This case study examines the way that increased practices of detention and deportation affect the childhood and adolescence of young people living in an anti-immigrant state like Arizona. Specifically, the life story of Katherine Figueroa during Arizona’s anti-immigrant climate, illustrates the struggle and implications for mixed-status families. The findings demonstrate the extent to which being separated from her parents influenced her mental health and academic life. The themes outlined in this paper suggest that in a continued repressive political context, children’s preoccupations and experiences with family separation are likely to have lasting consequences as these children transition into adulthood. Additionally, this study describes how community organizing, resources, support, and a proactive response to family separation can change the outcomes of parental detention. Findings from this study reveal, for educators, school administrators, counselors, community practitioners, and policy makers, how familial documentation status can have equally complex and lasting consequences for children’s academic, emotional, and physical well-being.