Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Backgrounds: We study the effect of local immigration enforcement that has escalated fear and risk of deportation among the undocumented on the health and mental health outcomes of Latino immigrants living in the United States. In 1996, the US government passed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). Section 287(g) of IIRIRA grants state and local jurisdictions the choice to enter into agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participate in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The number of localities pursuing 287(g) agreements has increased from two in 2002 to 76 in 2009 across 26 states. Since 2008, the Secure Communities Program (SC) gradually replaced 287(g) and was implemented in all counties nation-wide in 2013. As a result, tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants were removed annually from prison or during policing operations.

Data and Methods: We use the restricted-use National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data (2000-2012) and link county-level 287(g) and SC policy variables to study the effect of local immigration enforcement on the health and mental health outcomes of Latino immigrants. Health is measured by self-rated health, and mental health is measured by Kessler-6 Psychological Distress Scale. The analytic sample is restricted to adults aged 18-60 born in Latin America living in households with at least one noncitizen family member. Ordinary least square models with county and year fixed effects are used to measure the health effects.

Results and Conclusion: We found some evidence of local immigration enforcement policies adversely impacting mental health and self-rated health of Latino immigrants. There is little national-level scientific research on how immigration policy environment affects immigrant health, in general, and how state- and local-activism on immigration enforcement has influenced the health and mental health of immigrant families. This research bridges this critical knowledge gap and offers evidence to assess the full range of costs and benefits of immigration enforcement policies.