Federal Immigration Policies Adversely Affect Community Health

A Health Policy Brief published by Health Affairs earlier this month provides an evidence review that examines how expanding exclusionary immigration policies, including recent federal actions to broaden deportation efforts and limit previous immigration protections, are harmful to community health. The review found that increased deportations and other immigration enforcement adversely impact mental health and birth outcomes, diminish health care use, and erode trust in governmental health information sources, which affect not only undocumented immigrants and their families, but minority racial and ethnic groups as well. The review also suggests potential policy actions to limit state and local law enforcement’s collaboration with federal immigration authorities and make driver’s licenses more widely available for undocumented immigrants.