Health and Social Service Needs of U.S.-Citizen Children with Detained or Deported Immigrant Parents
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Highlights
U.S.-citizen children of deported parents face cascading harm—hardship, mental health crises, and instability. Schools represent the most trusted site for delivering services.
- Between 2003 and 2013, the U.S. government deported 3.7 million noncitizens. Parents of U.S.-born children made up an estimated one-fifth to one-quarter of that total.
- Economic hardship is the most prevalent consequence of parental deportation, often compounded by expensive legal fees; family income collapses and housing instability frequently follow.
- Children experience psychological trauma, declining school performance, and behavioral deterioration after a parent is detained. These conditions are worsened by communication barriers when parents are held in remote detention facilities.
- Schools are identified as the most trusted and accessible service point for affected families, while small community- and faith-based organizations deploy promising strategies that are undermined by limited resources and high staff turnover.
Between 2003 and 2013, the U.S. government formally removed 3.7 million immigrants to their home countries. According to the most reliable estimates, parents of U.S.-born children made up between one-fifth and one-quarter of this total.
This Urban Institute-MPI report examines the involvement of families with a deported parent with health and social service systems, as well as their needs and the barriers they face accessing such services. Drawing from fieldwork in five study sites in California, Florida, Illinois, South Carolina, and Texas, the researchers find that family economic hardship is highly prevalent following parental detention and deportation, while child welfare system involvement is rarer. Schools represent a promising avenue for interaction with these families and delivery of services, as school officials are perceived as safer intermediaries by unauthorized immigrant parents who may be skeptical of interaction with other government agencies. Other important sources of support include health providers, legal service providers, and community- and faith-based organizations that immigrants trust.
The authors suggest a number of ways to provide services and reduce harm to children with detained and deported parents. First, health and human service agencies could improve their staff’s language capacity, cultural competence, and knowledge of issues associated with immigration status. Another approach involves building bridges between health and human services agencies and informal local organizations that immigrants trust. Coordination among the key agencies (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, social service agencies, and foreign country consulates) is critical, especially for the provision of child welfare services. And small organizations implement many promising strategies to serve children with detained and deported parents, but often face limited resources and high staff turnover. Institutionalizing such strategies would provide a stronger safety net for these children and families in need.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Methods
Experiences of Children with Detained and Deported Parents
Mental Health
Economic Hardship
Housing Instability
Instability in Caregiving
Performance in School
Returning to the Parent's Home Country
ICE Policies That Protect Children during Parental Detention and Deportation
Locating Parents in Detention
Visiting Parents in Detention
The 2013 Parental Interests Directive
Barriers to Meeting the Needs of Children with Deported or Detained Parents
Lack of Access to Major Benefit Programs
Lack of Access to Health Care
Short Supply of Key Support Services
Lack of Transportation
Social Service Agencies' Lack of Resources and Experience with Immigrant Populations
Difficulty Coordinating Child Welfare Services
Promising Approaches to Better Meet Children’s Needs
Improving Access to Benefits
Filing Gaps in Key Services
Building Trust between Families and Service Providers
Developing Expertise and Relationships to Better Handle Child Welfare Cases
Conclusions
Appendix A. Study Methods
Appendix B. Immigration Enforcement Context
About the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
The Center is a national hub connecting policymakers, educators, community leaders, and service providers with evidence-informed policy research, technical assistance, and data to advance effective immigrant integration at U.S., state, and local levels.
About the U.S. Immigration Policy Program
The U.S. Immigration Policy Program provides analysis of U.S. immigration pathways, the impacts of enforcement and other policies, and the characteristics of immigrant populations.
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