Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Panel: Latino Immigration: Policy and Outcomes

(Population and Migration Issues)

In 2012, there were almost 53 million people of Latino origin in the United States, over 18 million of which are foreign born. Moreover, current estimates indicate that the undocumented population in the United States surpasses 11 million. A grand majority of these immigrants are of Mexican origin. However, immigration from Central American countries is growing steadily. These dynamics have shaped the immigration debate as being a Latino issue. As a result much of the debate surrounding immigration reform is directed at Latino communities. The fast-paced growth of the Latino population in the past decade has increased the saliency of immigration and has also turned into an ideological point of contention. Hostile, anti-immigrant sentiments are being expressed through many local and state laws and directives. The federal government is also more active in enforcing its immigration statutes. Greater funding for enforcement agencies has consequently led to an increase in detention and deportations of unauthorized immigrants. Given the punitive laws and the inhospitable environment they create, Latino immigrants face many challenges beyond the risk of deportation. Furthermore, the repercussions of these punitive laws and policies are not only affecting undocumented immigrants, but their families and communities as well, regardless of legal status. Our panel attempts to highlight the different facets of immigrant life that are affected by immigration policy. The research presented will explore the links between immigration policy and its enforcement on health and labor market outcomes for Latino immigrants and the broader Latino community. The papers presented in this panel focus on the physical and mental health of immigrants and their families as well as the policies that reduce gender disparities observed in earnings among young Latino immigrants. The analyses conducted in the panel utilize both nationally representative data and original data provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico. Together these papers build a narrative around health and labor market outcomes for an underrepresented population, a population centrally positioned within national sociopolitical debates and consequently highly targeted by laws and policies.