The Health Impacts of ICE Raids

The headlines of the past few days have been filled with reports of ICE raids across the social fabric. Agents have been spotted at schools, in businesses, and near factories. As a sociologist who studies the effects of racism on health, I've been reflecting on what I know to be some of the health impacts of these raids, not only for the families directly affected, but also for the extended community. Today, I'd like to walk through some of that research with you, so that you might also become familiar with the research and better advocate for those most affected. Specifically, I'll be drawing on a 2017 article by Novak et al. that discusses birth outcomes and a 2017 article by Lopez et al. that looks at broader patterns of community health. Both of these papers use the "natural" or quasi-experimental framing, comparing health outcomes in communities before and after immigration raids so that they can offer causal arguments of the effects of raids on the health of a community.

At the end of my post, I'll include some talking points that you can use in your own conversations on these topics and some action items for those looking to get more involved.

ICE raids have immediate negative health effects

As reported by Lopez et al., in the immediate aftermath of an immigration raid, members of the surrounding Latino community reported lower self-rated health (a holistic measure of mental and physical health that's well correlated with overall mortality and morbidity), higher levels of stress related to immigration enforcement (e.g., fearing the consequences of deportation), and shifts in pro-social behavior (e.g., reducing contact outside the home because of legal fears). Fears around enforcement actions were particularly salient for survey respondents with children in the home.

As we see more and more reporting of raids, we must bear witness to the immediate harms these cause, not just to those who are arrested or detained, but to those living in community with them. And, as we see the use of raids as an intimidation measure increase, we can draw on these findings to better understand how those at risk for political targeting might experience negative health effects.

ICE raids have negative effects for subsequent generations

As reported by Novak et al., the stress related to immigration raids has a direct negative effect on pregnant people, in turn impacting their pregnancies and newborns. After a raid, Latina mothers are at an increased risk of delivering babies with low birth weight, a condition that can be associated with long term health consequences for the newborn. Critically, this finding applied both to US-born and immigrant Latina mothers, underscoring the broad scope of negative impacts beyond those directly at risk of enforcement actions. In addition, although the raid at the focus of this study was limited to a single meat-processing plant, the study examined births from across the state, again demonstrating that the negative impacts of raids are wide-spread, well beyond those directly affected.

Providers working with pregnant people in and around these communities should be particularly mindful of the negative impact raids and fear of raids can have on birth outcomes. Novak et al. examined all births in the 37 weeks following the raid, finding that the negative birth outcomes were most prevalent for those mothers in their first trimester of pregnancy during the raid. Obstetricians should consider preemptive and proactive support for these communities as they care for their patients during early pregnancy.

Summary

The social trauma of ICE raids and the ongoing stress of potential immigration enforcement will likely result in significant negative health outcomes for Latinx communities, regardless of legal status or nativity. Those who are planning for health care in the post-Trump years should be mindful that these health impacts are generational and will likely result in long term disparities between Latinx and white populations.

Talking Points

1. Immigration raids directly harm the surrounding community by increasing stress. This affects everyone, not just those who were directly targeted or those who are at risk of immigration enforcement.
2. Families with children are particular susceptible to increases in raid-related stress, leaving them vulnerable to the associated long term health effects.
3. The stress of immigration raids negatively affects pregnant people who, subsequently, experience adverse birth outcomes. Their newborns are more likely to be medically fragile, risking long term health consequences.

Calls to Action

1. Host a "Know Your Rights" workshop in your community. You can partner with a local immigrant advocacy organization to host this training or you could consider attending a "train-the-trainer" workshop so that you can lead your own seminars.
2. If you are a medical professional, recognize that the current moment will likely have longer term health effects on marginalized communities that you might serve. Listen with compassion to your patients who are scared, recognize that avoidance of care may be due to fears of enforcement actions rather than willful non-compliance, and resist unlawful requests for medical information.
3. Print and distribute "Red Cards" which include critical information for those who may experience targeted immigration enforcement. These can be professionally printed or printed at home. Choose from the languages available to best match the immigrant communities in your neighborhood.