Twenty-six percent of children in the United States have at least one immigrant parent, which means that immigrants’ problems affect large portions of our country’s children. Undocumented parents facing immigration enforcement actions such as family separation, parental deportation, and detainment may worry about the effects of these events on their children.
Deportation, detainment, and other separation caused by the U.S. immigration process can have harmful effects on the family as a whole, and on children specifically. This is true for unauthorized immigrants as well as U.S. citizen children. Read on for some ways the immigration process can impact your family.
Fear of Using Public Programs
Fear of deportation keeps undocumented immigrant parents from seeking help when needed. Parents and caregivers may worry that accessing American healthcare (Medicaid), child care programs, social services, law enforcement, or nutrition programs may alert the government to their undocumented status. They may also worry that accepting support will prevent family members at risk of deportation from getting legal status.
The result is that children and immigrant families have unaddressed physical and mental health needs. Regular medical care is essential to growing children and vital for public health. In addition, families afraid of accessing supplemental food resources may not have enough food to feed growing children which can have serious health consequences.
Serious Financial Hardship
The immigration process can be costly. If a parent is suddenly detained and is facing possible deportation, their family misses out on their wages and has to find a way to pay legal fees, including attorneys and court costs. Undocumented immigrants are more likely than immigrants with legal status to work low-wage jobs, to begin with so this sudden loss of income can devastate a family’s financial situation.
Harmful to Children’s Relationships with Caregivers
The immigration process causes many disruptions in the lives of children. Family separation has harmful psychological effects on children even after reunification. Children of immigrants often find themselves living with extended family members they may not know well. Children may suffer from anxiety and depression but also have trouble forming attachments to caregivers. Exposure to violence and loss during the migration journey can exacerbate these effects.
Moreover, detainment centers run by the American Immigration and Customs Enforcement lack adequate mental health care. Older children in these facilities often find themselves caring for younger siblings or even parents suffering under the threat of deportation. This role reversal can have harmful effects on children.
Children’s School Performance Suffers
Children whose parents are under threat of deportation or immigration enforcement actions often have trouble in school. The stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms caused by immigration proceedings and fear of being left behind can cause children of immigrants to be unable to focus on school work.
Some children even act out with disruptive or violent behaviors in schools due to the mental health effects of immigration proceedings. Children of undocumented immigrants may worry that they don’t belong in their home country or America. This lack of belonging can affect mental health and well-being.
Mental Health Concerns: Anxiety, Stress, Depression
Every member of an immigrant family is affected by deportation, detainment, and separation. The stress of immigration proceedings can be long-term and lead to intense anxiety about the future. Children may not trust that their parents will always be there for them, impacting their sense of stability, well-being, and self-esteem.
Depression is common among immigrant families under threat of deportation. Depression can cause people to give up hope that they’ll find a way through this challenging process.
Psychological Evaluations Strengthen Your Case
If your family’s immigration status is uncertain, we want you to know that there are resources to help you. Seeking appropriate legal representation and outside support can help you understand deportation policies and strengthen your case to keep your family together. It’s essential to seek support from people who understand the impact of immigration on your family.
Immigration courts may not always understand the detrimental effects of deportation, detainment, and separation on your children and family. A thorough evaluation by a mental health professional and a comprehensive report detailing family status, child welfare concerns can help the court see the whole picture. Our providers understand what your family is going through and the immigration policies that affect your case. We have extensive experience working with immigrant communities and will give your case and family our best effort.
Let Us Help Make The Immigration Process Easier and Less Intimidating
Immigration proceedings for extreme hardship waivers can have a detrimental effect on your family and children. That’s why it’s essential to move through the immigration process as quickly as possible and make your case as strong as you can. Our goal is to keep families together.
Immigrating to the US is overwhelming thanks to complicated immigration laws and the stress of building a new life. That’s why we’re here. We offer a safe space to share your hardships and walk through the evaluation process with a kind, compassionate provider. To get started, schedule a FREE consultation with one of our providers to see if an immigration evaluation is suitable for your immigration case.
At the moment, due to COVID-19, all our immigration evaluation sessions are held online or via phone. We look forward to hearing from you!
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