The Obama administration has deported approximately 3.7 million undocumented people between 2009 and 2013 (one of the many reasons immigration advocates granted him the nickname “deporter in chief”). Of that number, it’s reported that probably half a million of them are parents. As a result, hundreds of thousands of U.S.-born children have either one or no parents in the U.S., according to the Migration Policy Institute.
So, what are the mental and economic effects on these kids? (By the way, there are roughly 5.3 million U.S. citizen children whose parents are undocumented.) The MPI tackled those questions, and recently put out two reports with some answers.
The reports were a collaborative effort between the MPI and the Urban Institute, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Immigration and Customs Enforcement helped out with some research, and part of the process involved fieldwork in five sites: California, Florida, Illinois, South Carolina and Texas.
Unsurprisingly, MPI found that economic hardship among mixed-status families gets worse when a parent is detained and deported. The Washington Post wrote a nice summary:
The first, a survey of smaller-scale studies, conducted on unauthorized immigrant families, shows that the effects of losing a parent to deportation are basically the same as what happens when a parent goes to prison: Kids can become homeless, bounce around to different family members, lose focus in school, and undergo long-lasting psychological trauma. One study found that family income dropped by 70 percent in the six months following a deportation, and one quarter of families in that situation reported going hungry.
Then there are behavioral problems: lots of them, from depression to anger:
…also identified gaps in social services that are ill-equipped to handle the special needs of children whose families have been ruptured by immigration rules. “Study participants reported that children refused to eat, pulled out their hair, or had persistent stomachaches or headaches,” the authors write. “Others turned to more self-destructive outlets such as cutting themselves or abusing substances.”
Here are some of the solutions discussed on the report, which you should check on on its entirety, here:
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.
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2015.
All the more reason to not let them in to begin with.
It’s time we stop the liberals from exploiting these people for the $15,000 of government money that follows each of them and the cheap labor they provide. Liberals are stealing resources from our own children for their own selfish greed and a steady supply of toilet cleaners.
No one questions the hardships on children without parents, but it’s the parents who caused the problem. Many of these children’s parents came to the US just before their child was born so it could be a US citizen, and hopefully, anchor the parents. The whole reason behind their thinking was flawed from the beginning and now the child suffers.
How about making Mexico or whatever country they hail from, pay us for these children and parents until the child is 21. Take the burden off of US taxpayers and place it where it belongs, on the home country.
Ruptured by immigration rules? Are you SERIOUS? They are Criminals and Law Breakers, and they ALL deserve to be “ruptured” and SEND the eff back.. Stealing Services meant for LEGAL citizens who paid TAXES to have them… they are nothing but Leeches…but since they got kids “boohoo”..right? How about EACH and EVERY liberal whining and complaining take some into THEIR houses and feed and clothe them – I’ll bet that Whining STOPS, fast.
81% of illegals are Hispanic
LEGAL Hispanics households have a median income of: $38,624, in 2011. http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0104552.htm…
The Congressional Budget office (CBO) estimates Household in the
bottom quintile received $29,015 in benefits & paid $4,251 in Federal, state and local taxes. (Income $20,262 mean $11,239)
In the second quintile household received $24,709 in benefits & paid $9,524 in Federal, state and local taxes. (income top $38,820 mean $29,204)
It’s the subsidized ANCHOR BABY business: Hispanic births, drive 78% US population growth. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/……
42% of Latino households are single parent. http://datacenter.kidscount.or…
53% of Hispanic women have illegitimate births ● http://www.nationalreview.com/…
You lose MORE if you legalize them!
Wow some of these comments sound straight outta coward.
You can always bank on a story like this to bring out the mindless haters…
So what does it mean to be an American? Does a nation that does not enforce it’s rules truly have a justice system? Do we, as individuals, get to decide what laws get enforced and for who?
That $3000 fee that goes to a Coyote should be going to the US Government to vet these people and ensure that they are legal immigrants.
The system needs to change, but that doesn’t mean that anyone who disagrees with people who break the law should be called a hater or “racist”.
A country without laws is not a country. A nation without borders is not a nation.
This study is a ringing endorsement to end birthright citizenship and to deport entire families back to their home country, no matter their color or country of origin.
“So, what are the mental and economic effects on these kids?” The real question is who did this to their kids ? They knew they were breaking the law and knew what the results would be.