The media has been awash with stories of intense sweeps by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted in different cities, such as Minneapolis. While a lot of focus has been on the sometimes high-handed methods used during these operations, a team of researchers is drawing attention to the adverse public health effects of these ICE sweeps.
University of Iowa’s Asst. Prof. Nicole Novak and Associate Professor William Lopez of the University of Michigan write that these operations have far-reaching effects on public health that take a while to fully come to light, and that it will take years to roll back those adverse effects.
One of the effects they point out is that nationalities being targeted during immigration sweeps usually become hesitant to seek medical care even when such individuals have papers that allow them to live and work in the country. The academics cite research showing that Hispanic adults have a lower likelihood of visiting a doctor or undergoing an annual medical checkup if they live in an area where ICE operations are intense.
They also point out that available data shows a decline in Medicaid enrollment when immigration enforcement by federal agents goes up. This decline in enrollment, the academics say, happens even among U.S. citizens who qualify to enroll for these programs.
The two researchers also note that when an immigration crackdown occurs, people lose access to the resources that they require to stay healthy. Consequently, public health suffers. They cite data showing that people’s employment and income suffer when immigration operations intensify, making such individuals unable to have the resources they need to stay healthy.
In St. Paul and Minneapolis, this situation is playing out as thousands are remaining home to avoid being caught up in immigration crackdowns and nearly 8 in 10 businesses owned by immigrants have closed temporarily in the most affected neighborhoods.
The academics say important nutrition programs like SNAP see major declines in enrollment during ICE operations, and this means that the vulnerable people who need this food aid are unable to access it because of immigration enforcement activities.
The mental health toll of these operations is also mentioned as an enduring adverse effect of intensified ICE activity. The two academics identify psychological distress, hyperactivity, separation anxiety, depression and anxiety as some of the mental health issues that develop among people directly affected by ICE crackdowns.
While the two researchers aren’t against ICE sweeps, they call for these operations to be conducted in ways that minimize avoidable adverse effects on communities. For example, they appeal for immigration cases to be expedited so that a decision is made quickly one way or the other, rather than the current reality where court sessions drag on for years in some cases before a ruling is made.
For health sector stakeholders like Astiva Health, it is hard to imagine how more complex their mission of serving racial minorities and other underserved groups gets when immigration operations intensify in the counties where they operate.
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