Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Young immigrant children face a constellation of risk factors (e.g., poverty, low parental education, and language barriers) that place them at risk of developmental delay and poor academic performance. Extant research documents the benefits of early childhood education (ECE) on children’s school readiness; economically and racially disadvantaged children, especially English language learners, benefit the most from these programs. Yet, compared to children of natives, children of immigrants are substantially less likely to attend ECE programs.

Recent efforts to revitalize mass deportations and localized immigration enforcement could further prevent immigrant families from enrolling in ECE programs—even when children qualify. The consequences could be most severe for Hispanic families who are often mixed status (i.e., documented and undocumented). The most notable program, 287(g), allows local law enforcement to apprehend individuals suspected of residing in the country illegally. The aim is to target criminal offenders, but some localities have used it to universally deport unauthorized immigrants. 287(g) and other localized immigration enforcement efforts have contributed significantly to the nation’s record-level deportations. Growing research finds that deportations and enforcement policies have severe consequences for family members left behind (e.g., economic hardship, food insecurity) and create fear/mistrust in the broader immigrant/Hispanic community. Consequently, even those eligible are less likely to utilize educational, health, and social services.

Our study examines the consequences of immigration enforcement policies on the ECE participation of Hispanic and immigrant children in Head Start, the largest federal ECE program, which provides essential education, health, nutrition and other comprehensive services to low income families. Though research has shown that immigration enforcement can have severe consequences on school-aged children (e.g., increased grade retention, lower enrollment), research has yet to examine the consequences for the most formative years of schooling—pre-kindergarten. Because pre-kindergarten is voluntary and programs already struggle to enroll Hispanic families, the consequences of these policies may be more severe for younger children.

Using national, annual Head Start administrative data from the Office of Head Start Program Information Reports (PIR), we examine how 287(g) and other localized immigration enforcement efforts affect Hispanic families’ program participation. PIR data provide comprehensive program-level data on all Head Start programs, including enrollment, child and family services, and program location (zip codes). Exploiting the spatial and temporal variation in program adoption, we utilize difference-in-difference models to examine how 287(g) and its successor programs impact Hispanic children’s enrollment rates and their parents’ program involvement (e.g., volunteering in classrooms). We pool data from 2000-2014 to obtain multiple pre-post observations and compare enrollment/participation rate changes with two comparison groups—non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Sensitivity checks address the policy exogeneity and parallel trend assumptions of difference-in-difference.

Our study is the first to examine the implications of localized immigration enforcement on ECE for Hispanic families. We further expand upon prior research by examining the implications of 287(g)’s successor program, Secure Communities, as well policies beyond localized policing. Symbolic policies, such as English only laws, are on the rise and may have strong implications for parental trust and interactions with Head Start personnel.