Fear Of Deportation Research Articles

Labour/Employment Relations of Zimbabwean Migrants in South Africa

The economic hardships, dire poverty, political persecution among other reasons faced by Zimbabweans in recent years acted as push factors for them to migrate to South Africa in search of greener pastures. There are no pellucid statistics of the total number of illegal Zimbabweans residing in South Africa. Some of the undocumented Zimbabweans have been exposed to forced labour as well as underpayment in the labour industry due to lack of legal work documents. This research sought to examine the labour/ employment relations of Zimbabweans in South Africa. Two theories were examined and these are Stouffer’s Theory of Mobility, and E. Ravenstein's laws of migration. A qualitative approach was used and the findings were drawn from the documentary analysis. The findings proved that the key challenges faced in the labour sector by Zimbabwean migrants in South Africa are fear of deportation, difficulties in securing working visas, lack of access to legal help, accommodation issues, xenophobia, marginalisation, segregation, discrimination, irregular incomes, short maternity leave, zero maternity leave benefits, non -payment of salaries, under payment of wages as well lack of work permits. In terms of policy recommendations, it was suggested that, regional cooperation on Zimbabwe Reconstruction, monitoring of the labour market, legal assistance and human rights groups, improvement in bilateral relations and diplomacy can be helpful to alleviate some of the challenges faced by Zimbabweans on South Africa.

How did we get here and where do we go from here?: Supporting undocumented students through a pandemic.

Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, exposing the influence of decades of policies that have under-resourced and marginalized these communities. The history of segregation and inadequate funding in education has been exacerbated by the pandemic, compounding the educational inequities already present in the United States. The intersection of this inequity alongside immigration policies over the past years have led the undocumented student population to be adversely impacted. The lack of access to health care and social safety net programs, fear of deportation, and an over reliance on technology for schooling leaves a large segment of students vulnerable for adverse academic, emotional, and social outcomes. This paper will trace the historical path of educational segregation, immigration policies, and how these led to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on undocumented students. It will discuss interventions for undocumented students within an antioppressive ecological framework and the ethical responsibilities that school-based mental health professionals have to support undocumented students to fulfill their highest potential, manage the emotional toll of the pandemic, and advocate for change in immigration and educational policies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Policy Implications of Structural Violence and Syndemic Dynamics: A Lens for Addressing Latinx Immigrant Diabetes Health Disparities.

Purpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is to explore using theoretical frameworks of structural violence and syndemics to understand Latinx health disparities with a focus on type 2 diabetes (T2D). We propose that combining these frameworks is a valuable approach for revealing complex root-cause dynamics and explaining the nuances of how and why health disparities exist. We discuss the importance of the relationship between T2D, fear, and stigma.Recent FindingsImmigration policy creates structural conditions that invite unauthorized immigration while simultaneously excluding undocumented immigrants from access to healthcare resources. Structural exclusion then breeds fear of immigration status disclosure and deportation and, in the highly politicized immigration context that has emerged over the past two decades, also assigns social sigma to immigration status. Undocumented immigrants lack access to healthcare and health insurance; they cannot afford state-of-the-art drugs, they tend to be socially isolated and lack social capital to navigate systems; they are financially limited by poverty and lack of resources, emotionally taxed by the experience of discrimination, humiliation, and language-related challenges; and they have a toxic immigration stress load in the form of multidimensional fear. Potential areas for policy change are identified.SummaryType 2 diabetes (T2D) follows racial, ethnic, and class fault lines that reflect unequal social and structural dynamics. Latinx immigrants are at disproportionate risk and explaining immigrant T2D social geography requires a holistic lens.

Immigrants’ Rights and Fear of Deportation During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Critical Study of The US Immigration Policies

In recent years, anti-immigrant sentiments are taking a toll in American society. The COVID- 19 pandemic have just proved to be the add on to the prevalent socio-political polarization. The news regarding the deaths of immigrants coming from the different nationalities and discriminatory behaviour of the federal agencies towards immigrant groups in providing them aid through the health care mechanism during the COVID-19 period are doing rounds in the world. People who do not have lawful status and proper documentation are left behind and have been ignored vehemently in providing COVID19 testing and other medical facilities. Such treatment could be seen as a testament to the policy-driven barrier which is part and parcel of the U.S. immigration policies for the vulnerable section of the society that leads to the more severe COVID situation in the country. The proposed research paper tries to investigate and analyse the situation of undocumented immigrants who have been living in the U.S. which is considered as the most developed country in the world but failed to treat equally the "others" who suffered miserably during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the discriminatory policies of the various federal departments of the United States. Whereas, other developing countries are doing good who did not impose those policy-driven impediments on such groups. The paper tries to investigate how this biased behaviour towards some particular immigrants group and racial identities affects the US tag of a multicultural society and hampering its diplomatic ties with other nations as well. Apart from this, the paper also examines how the immigrant's rights have been tossed away and how they were living under the constant fear of deportation during the severe pandemic situation as situations were so grim in their home country as well.

Exploring elasticity and shielding in the Catholic Church: priests’ relationships with Latino worshippers

ABSTRACT Examining the relationship between Catholic priests and Latino parishioners, we explored how five clergy understood their roles in easing the way for immigrants to the Boston area. Just as the Catholic Church welcomed European immigrants of an earlier period, priests believed that their parishes continued to embrace a newer wave of immigrants during a time when Latinos experienced heightened fear of deportation under the immigration policies that took place between 2017 and 2021. However, an alternative narrative emerged in this study, in which priests acknowledged their own reliance on Latino parishioners to revitalise their church and fill their pews as their numbers of white members were dwindling. We argue that priests’ descriptions of their interactions with Latino worshippers highlight their move to elasticise the Catholic Church to accommodate the needs of new immigrant families. Priests then seek to establish a loyalty among Latino parishioners which serves to shield them from the criticism of white Americans in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandal.

Prevalences of mental distress and its associated factors in unaccompanied refugee minors in Germany

Prevalences for mental disorders within minor refugees are comparatively high and heterogeneous. To reduce heterogeneity and identify high-risk subgroups, we compared unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) to accompanied refugee minors (ARM) regarding depressive symptoms and mental distress. Furthermore, we examined associative factors of mental distress in URM on a broad scale. We conducted a survey with a cross-sectional design in four German University hospitals. The sample consisted of n = 172 URM and n = 52 ARM aged 14–21. Depressive symptoms were assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Mental distress was assessed by the Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15). Mann–Whitney test was used to examine differences between URM and ARM. Associated factors of mental distress were evaluated via a stepwise multiple regression analysis. URM showed significantly higher mean scores for PHQ-9 (p < .001) and RHS-15 (p < .001) compared to ARM indicating medium effect sizes. Furthermore, URM were significantly more likely to surpass the cut-off for depression (61.6% vs. 30.8%) and overall mental distress (81.4% vs. 53.8%) compared to ARM. The factors Number of stressful life events (SLE), Female gender, and Fear of deportation were found to be associated with an increased mental distress in URM, whereas Weekly contact to a family member, School attendance, and German language skills were accompanied with lower distress scores. All six factors accounted for 32% of the variance of mental distress in URM (p < .001). Within minor refugees, URM are a highly vulnerable subgroup, which should receive particular attention and more targeted measures by health authorities. Our results indicate that these measures should comprise a rapid promotion of family contact, school attendance, language acquisition, and the fast processing of asylum applications. However, the cross-sectional design limits the interpretability of the results.

“The Name Game”: Adolescent Racialization in the Era of Trump

ABSTRACT Following the 2016 US presidential election, schools reported an alarming level of fear and anxiety among students of color, increased racial and ethnic tensions in the classroom, and fear of deportation for immigrant youth. Collectively, this phenomenon has been termed “the Trump effect.” In this study, we examined the details surrounding a specific incident of racial violence at a high school in a Northeast town to provide an emic perspective on this phenomenon. We examined how the events, school response, and vitriolic rhetoric and political discourse in the larger culture contributed to the racialized identities of students who were at the heart of the events.

Living Barriers and the Emotional Labor of Accessing Care from the Margins

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the deeply entrenched inequalities and barriers in the U.S. healthcare system. Past research would suggest that extant barriers to care for undocumented immigrant communities, such as those pertaining to citizenship status, class, race, language fluency, and employment status as well as increased demands for documentation, fear of deportation, and general mistrust in the public healthcare system (Heyman, Nuñez, and Talavera 2009; Flores 2015; Hacker et al. 2015), would be amplified within the pandemic climate, making access to care even more difficult. Building from my research on undocumented motherhood and health access, I explore the emotional labor performed by undocumented communities in navigating multiple barriers to accessing public health services as a way to think more deeply about the struggles these communities may be facing during the current COVID-19 pandemic, but also as a way to imagine what kind of work might be required fundamentally to remove barriers to health and improve long-term access to care for the most vulnerable communities.

“Walking ATMs”: Street Criminals’ Perception and Targeting of Undocumented Immigrants

Research suggests undocumented immigrants are vulnerable to robbery, burglary, and car theft, but studies have focused exclusively on victims’ perspectives rather than those of street offenders. This study draws from in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 25 active street offenders from a major southeastern US city to understand offenders’ perspectives and motivations for deciding whether to target immigrants. Our findings support that some street offenders explicitly select targets based on perceived individual and socio-structural risk factors and the assumption of undocumented status. These include objective and subjective assessments of immigrants’ reliance on cash-intensive employment, fear of deportation, and inability to access formal justice systems. Our interviews with offenders reveal they and their acquaintances rely on mainstream stereotypes of immigrants (documented and undocumented) and of Latinx populations to determine vulnerability, select targets, and to a lesser extent, justify victimization. Our results highlight the unintended consequences of US immigration policies on crime against immigrants.

Latino Immigrant Service Provision in Tennessee and Georgia: Provider Perceptions.

Latinos and Latino immigrants are increasingly settling in new immigrant destinations, such as Tennessee and Georgia, that have historically lacked sufficient infrastructure for delivery of culturally and linguistically competent health and social services. This cross-sectional survey study was designed to assess providers' (n = 109) perspectives of the service provision landscape in each state. Descriptive analyses and t-tests (by state) were conducted to explore service concerns, access barriers, and organizational capacity to address concerns and barriers. Among most prevalently reported concerns were income/wages and fear of deportation. Key access barriers included language, lack of driver's license and insurance, and fear of deportation. Most (63%) organizations had sufficient Spanish language proficiency, though building trust was a notable barrier within 58% of organizations. Results provide meaningful data to inform existing strengths and service gaps in two exclusionary policy states. Future research should include perspectives of Latino community members.

The CRISIS Survey: The Catholic Church's Work with Immigrants in a Period of Crisis

The CRISIS Survey: The Catholic Church's Work with Immigrants in a Period of Crisis

Immigration Status as the Foundational Determinant of Health for People Without Status in Canada: A Scoping Review.

Migration is increasing at unprecedented rates worldwide, but inadequate mechanisms for granting citizenship or permanent residence have rendered many immigrants without legal status. We study the health of people without immigration status in Canada, building on a 2010 review on being without status and health. We employ an expanded definition of health, guided by the WHO Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) framework. Using a scoping review methodology, we reviewed literature from 2008 to 2018 on the SDoH of people without legal immigration status in Canada, selecting 33 articles for analysis. We found that structural determinants of health, such as stigmatization and criminalization, and intermediary determinants, such as fear of deportation and healthcare avoidance, produce ill health. We show how different social positions are produced by SDoH, finding immigration status to be the foundational determinant of health for people without status in Canada. We argue that lack of immigration status as a SDoH is missing from the WHO framework.

Mixed-status Families in Northern Arizona: An Inductive Analysis of Legal Clinic Participation and the Gendered Dynamics of Emotional Care Work

Fear of deportation and consequent separation of “mixed-status families” (those with citizen and non-citizen members) is a central issue facing immigrants today. Yet, there is a gap in sociological explorations of legal clinics designed to assist these families. Here, we examine parents of mixed-status families in danger of deportation who visited one such clinic: what factors drove them to seek legal help? While we explore theoretical implications related to legal violence, we also highlight ways to better reach these families and provide free legal services, particularly to women who seem to be primarily tasked with this work. Research was conducted through Northern Arizona Immigration Legal Services (NAILS). Using in-depth interviews with nine undocumented Mexican-born parents, mostly mothers, our findings reveal patterns that could aid NAILS and other legal support services in providing assistance to these families. Issues such as traditional gendered labor division within the family and the role of social workers were the most relevant themes in seeking legal help. These findings not only contribute to the growing sociological research on immigration and gender dynamics but can also help NAILS and other similar community organizations connect with immigrants in more efficient ways, particularly as it relates to the emotional care work of mothers in mixed-status families.

Musculoskeletal Pain and Cardiovascular Risk in Hispanic/Latino Meatpacking Workers.

Most meatpacking workers have pain affecting their back, arms, and/or wrists from work-related repetitive motions, forceful exertion, and awkward positioning. Chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with obesity, hypertension, type II diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. Hispanic/Latino workers in the meatpacking industry are a vulnerable population; limited English, lack of health insurance, and fear of deportation often deter them from seeking care where preventable cardiovascular risks might be detected. The purpose of this study was to examine perceived health and actual cardiovascular risk among Hispanic/Latino meatpacking workers with musculoskeletal pain in Nebraska. Structured interviews were used to examine perceived health, awareness of cardiometabolic risk, and capacity for health self-management. Body mass index (BMI), lipids, blood pressure, Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and cardiorespiratory fitness (step test) were used to examine cardiovascular risk. Of those interviewed (n = 39), musculoskeletal pain affected usual life activities in 64% (n = 25) of participants. Of those tested (n = 30), 93% (n = 28) had a BMI > 30 kg/m2, 86% (n = 26) had at least one lipid abnormality, 50% (n = 15) had blood pressure > 120/80 mm Hg, and 43% (n = 13) had an HbA1c > 5.7%. Males had greater fitness than females (p = .03), but also greater lifetime risk of heart attack or stroke compared with females (p = .02). In this sample, cardiovascular risk exceeded that found in the general Hispanic population in the United States. Occupational health nurses can assist workers to be aware of their risk by measuring and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate education on blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, and HbA1c.

Challenges and lessons learned in mental health research among refugees: a community-based study in Turkey

BackgroundTurkey hosts nearly four million refugees and 99% live in urban areas. Research in urban settings pose different challenges and opportunities than research in refugee camps. In this article, we aimed to share the challenges and experiences we encountered in a mixed-methods study to assess mental health problems and barriers to accessing mental health care among refugees in urban areas of Turkey.DiscussionIn our case, the main challenges in conducting research with refugees were collecting data from a highly traumatized population, difficulties with contacting undocumented asylum seekers including trust issues and the fear of deportation, the risk of secondary traumatization among data collectors, and the bureaucracy during study approval processes. Targeting a representative sample was not feasible, because of the lack of publicly available demographic data on a district level, presence of undocumented asylum seekers and high mobility among the refugees. Although respondents with significant psychological symptoms were routinely referred to available mental health services, we were able to do less for unregistered refugees with problems in accessing health care. Language/alphabet differences and differing dialects of Arabic posed another challenge in both translation and administration of the scales. Based on cultural characteristics, a gender-balanced team was used and the interviewers were gender-matched whenever needed. Also, the research team had to work after work hours and during weekends to be able to interview male refugees, since most refugee men were at work during working hours and most days of the week.ConclusionsThe research team’s experience showed that refugee population characteristics including level of trauma, language, culture, gender, legal status, and urban setting characteristics including places of living, mobility, availability of publicly available demographic data, and outreach-related barriers lead to different challenges and ethical responsibilities of researchers and affect the research costs in terms of time, human resources and finance. Even in a host country with geographical, religious and cultural proximity to the refugees, profound challenges exist in conducting mental health research in urban settings. Learning from previous experience and collaborating with local researchers and institutions are vital for better public health research and practice outcomes.

Symptoms of PTSD and Depression among Central American Immigrant Youth

The aim of this paper is to explore the mental health challenges that Central American immigrant youth face before and after arriving in the United States. This population is hard to reach, marginalized, and disproportionately exposed to trauma from a young age. This paper investigates the mental health stressors experienced by Central American immigrant youth and asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors, surveyed in the U.S. in 2017. This mixed methods study uses qualitative data from interviews along with close-ended questions and the validated PHQ-8 Questionnaire and the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS). These new migrants face numerous challenges to mental health, increased psychopathological risk exacerbated by high levels of violence and low state-capacity in their countries of origin, restrictive immigration policies, the fear of deportation for themselves and their family members, and the pressure to integrate once in the U.S. We find that Central American youth have seen improvements in their self-reported mental health after migrating to the U.S., but remain at risk of further trauma exposure, depression, and PTSD. We find that they exhibit a disproportionate likelihood of having lived through traumatizing experiences that put them at higher risk for psychological distress and disorders that may create obstacles to integration. These can, in turn, create new stressors that exacerbate PTSD, depression, and anxiety. These conditions can be minimized through programs that aid immigrant integration and mental health.

Epigenetics as a Mechanism of Developmental Embodiment of Stress, Resilience, and Cardiometabolic Risk Across Generations of Latinx Immigrant Families.

Psychosocial stressors can become embodied to alter biology throughout the life course in ways that may have lasting health consequences. Immigrants are particularly vulnerable to high burdens of stress, which have heightened in the current sociopolitical climate. This study is an investigation of how immigration-related stress (IRS) may impact the cardiometabolic risk and epigenetic markers of Latinx immigrant mothers and children in Nashville, TN. We compared stress and resilience factors reported by Latina immigrant mothers and their children (aged 5–13) from two time points spanning the 2016 U.S. presidential election (June 2015–June 2016 baseline, n = 81; March–September 2018 follow-up, n = 39) with cardiometabolic risk markers (BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure). We also analyzed these factors in relation to DNA methylation in saliva of stress-related candidate genes (SLC6A4 and FKBP5), generated via bisulfite pyrosequencing (complete case n's range from 67–72 baseline and 29–31 follow-up) (n's range from 80 baseline to 36 follow-up). We found various associations with cardiometabolic risk, such as higher social support and greater acculturation were associated with lower BMI in mothers; discrimination and school stress associated with greater waist circumferences in children. Very few exposures associated with FKBP5, but various stressors associated with methylation at many sites in SLC6A4, including immigrant-related stress in both mothers and children, and fear of parent deportation in children. Additionally, in the mothers, total maternal stress, health stress, and subjective social status associated with methylation at multiple sites of SLC6A4. Acculturation associated with methylation in mothers in both genes, though directions of effect varied over time. We also find DNA methylation at SLC6A4 associates with measures of adiposity and blood pressure, suggesting that methylation may be on the pathway linking stress with cardiometabolic risk. More research is needed to determine the role of these epigenetic differences in contributing to embodiment of stress across generations.

Public Benefit Use and Social Needs in Hospitalized Children With Undocumented Parents.

Studies supporta recent decline in public benefit enrollment among immigrant families. We aimed to describe health and resource use, barriers to use, and immigration-related fear in families with undocumented parents compared with families without undocumented parents. We also aimed to assess associations with discontinuation of public benefits and fear of deportation. We assessed immigration concerns and enrollment in Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) with an 89-item anonymous, cross-sectional survey of English- and Spanish-speaking caregivers of hospitalized children. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess associations with discontinuation of public benefits and fear of deportation. Of 527 families approached, 399 enrolled (105 with 1 or more undocumented parent, 275 with no undocumented parent, and 19 with undisclosed immigration status). Compared with families without undocumented parents, families with undocumented parents had higher levels of poverty and food insecurity. Controlling for perceived eligibility, public benefit use was similar across groups. Of families with undocumented parents, 29% reported public benefit discontinuation because of immigration concerns, and 71% reported fear of deportation. Having an undocumented parent was associated with public benefit disenrollment (odds ratio: 46.7; 95% confidence interval: 5.9-370.4) and fear of deportation (odds ratio: 24.3; 95% confidence interval: 9.6-61.9). Although families with undocumented parents had higher levels of poverty and food insecurity compared with families without undocumented parents, public benefit use was similar between groups. Immigration-related fear may be a barrier to public benefit use in this population.

Barriers to Using Telehealth During a Pandemic Versus In-Person Appointments to Conduct Nutrition Assessments in a Community Health Clinic Setting

Abstract Objectives Barriers to healthcare among undocumented immigrants include fear of deportation, national policies excluding patients from receiving healthcare, and resource constraints, such as a lack of financial assets and transportation. The pandemic has exacerbated these barriers for community health clinic patients at St. Mary's Health Clinics (SMHC). Nutrition assessments are pivotal in providing holistic healthcare at SMHC, as high rates of food insecurity and chronic diseases exist, in addition to a unified need for education on culturally appropriate food selections for long-term health. The primary objective was to assess the barriers for SMHC patients when conducting nutrition assessments via telehealth versus an in-person clinic. Methods SMHC registered nurses (RN) triaged patients in need of nutrition assessment based on recent laboratory results or patient requests. The schedule was coordinated between RN, registered dietitian (RD), interpreter, and patient; the interpreter connected the patient to the telehealth appointment by providing call-in details or merging phone calls. The appointment was conducted via a secure virtual platform where phone or computer access was granted to all parties. Perception of barriers to telehealth were recorded by RD. Results Pre-pandemic, 6–8 nutrition assessments were conducted in-person monthly. Between the initiation of telehealth in July and December of 2020, 62 telehealth appointments were conducted, averaging 12.4 appointments per month. As a result of telehealth, the barrier of transportation to appointments was eliminated, nutrition assessment volume increased by 1.5–2 times, flexibility in appointment scheduling times increased, and the risk of spreading illness decreased. Challenges of telehealth were the inability to conduct nutrition-focused physical examinations, the presence of distractions in patient and/or provider home environments, increased coordination of care across the interprofessional team, and miscommunication/technology issues with the telehealth platform. Conclusions Telehealth has reduced some of the barriers to conducting nutrition assessments and has allowed for accessibility to a wider patient population, however, additional challenges unique to telehealth during the global pandemic were present. Funding Sources GHR Foundation Grant

The discourse of deservingness: Racialized framing during rumored ICE raids

On February 12–14th, 2017, there were rumors of an ICE raid in the small East Texas city of Hometown. Reports that ICE was present circulated on social media platforms and radio stations in the area. Consequently, the Latinx community had high anxiety and fear of deportation and looked to the Spanish speaking radio DJs for information and advice. In this paper, we argue that heighten threats of deportation can accentuate divisions among the Latinx community based on fallacies regarding criminality and immigration. The authors utilized a collection of qualitative data to review the racialized framing that occurs during rumored ICE raids. A discourse of deservingness based on the notion of the “good” versus “bad” immigrant was internalized by vulnerable immigrants to alleviate stress about deportation.