Family unity, family health: A health impact assessment of federal immigration policy reform

For the first time in decades, U.S. policymakers have committed in 2013 to taking concrete steps to reform federal immigration policy. Two practices resulting from current policy are the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants – actions that ultimately criminalize immigrants and lead to health impacts for family members who remain in the U.S. and the communities where they live. In FY 2012, more than 88,000 parents of U.S. citizen children were deported, and impacts were felt both by partners of deportees who remained in the U.S and their children. Approximately 4.5 million U.S. citizen children currently live in mixed-status households. From 2012-2013, Human Impact Partners collaborated with a wide range of partners across the nation on a health impact assessment (HIA) of proposed federal immigration policy reforms relating to detention and deportation. Preliminary results indicate that adoption of reforms could prevent dramatic decreases in household income associated with the deportation of a parent. More specifically they could prevent approximately 200,000 years of life lost among partners of deportees, and prevent decreased access to housing, food, and medical resources for families of deportees. Additionally, proposed reforms could decrease depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fear among children. This presentation will discuss the findings, successes and challenges of an HIA on federal immigration policy. It explains how HIA contributed to policy debates and organizing campaigns by adding a health lens and recommending changes to avert negative health impacts to undocumented immigrants, their families, and communities.