Mental health problems of children of undocumented parents in the united states: A hidden crisis

Jorge Delva; Pilar Horner; Ramiro Martinez; Laura Sanders; William D.  Lopez; John Doering-white

Jorge Delva PhD, Professor and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. Corresponding author. 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
Pilar Horner PhD, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University School of Social Work and the Julian Samora Research Institute. 120 Baker Hall, E. Lansing, MI 48824
Ramiro Martinez Community organizer and cofounder of Washtenaw Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WICIR). 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
Laura Sanders ACSW, LMSW, instructor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and cofounder of WICIR. 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
William D. Lopez MPH, PhD student, University of Michigan School of Public Health. 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109
John Doering-white PhD student in Social Work and Anthropology, University of Michigan. 1080 S. University, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

Keywords: Children and adolescents, undocumented immigrants, mental health, immigration enforcement

Abstract

The ripple effects of immigration enforcement on the lives of citizen and undocumented children in the United States (U.S.) remain hidden. Amidst unpredictable and traumatic immigration enforcement policies and practices in the U.S., children of undocumented parents are exposed to stressors that severely threaten their mental well-being. A community-based participatory study revealed that many of these children suffer from considerable mental health problems. If immigration policies and practices in the U.S. do not change, millions of children will continue to suffer from their unmet mental health needs. Furthermore, these unmet mental health problems are likely to affect them into adulthood and engender a heavy human and economic cost for them and all of society.