Opinion:U.S. immigration policy is damaging children’s health
As a pediatric nephrologist, I am used to hearing my patients’ express concerns about their kidney health: the uncertainty of their symptoms, questions about medications, and how they’re managing the demands of their chronic illness. In recent weeks, I’ve heard more alarming responses related to immigration such as, “I’m scared my parents will be deported,” “I’m concerned about my safety,” and “I’m unsure who to trust, at the hospital or school.”
These are not the responses I expect from children. Instead, they reflect a growing sense of fear and distrust, deeply rooted in recent shifts in immigration policy. The rescinding of “safe” spaces, focus on mass deportation, and the attempt to end birthright citizenship have not only shaken my patients’ and their families’’ sense of safety, but they are also eroding trust in the very systems that should be protecting them: healthcare and education.
Erosion of safe spaces
The removal of protections for safe areas has made undocumented individuals vulnerable to being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in or near clinics, hospitals, mental healthcare facilities, schools, places of worship, and transportation.
With this policy change, it has created a climate of fear and confusion, particularly within Connecticut’s immigrant communities. As we’ve seen during periods of heightened immigration enforcement, families and children are less likely to seek care – not out of negligence – but because of the real fear of deportation or family separation. This reluctance will inevitably lead to preventable health complications, illnesses, avoidable deaths, and high healthcare burden, particularly through increased emergency room visits.
Long-term toll on children’s health
In 2022, about 6 million children under the age of 18 lived at home with at least one undocumented family member, typically a parent. Studies have shown that U.S. citizen children who are exposed to parental deportation have significantly worse health outcomes, behavioral problems, and long-term academic challenges.
Additionally, both immigrant children and children in immigrant families have higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder due to the stress of resettlement, acculturation, and the actual or threatened separation from their parents.
As healthcare clinicians, it is our responsibility to ensure that our facilities remain safe environments where all children can access the care they need. We cannot stand by while these policies jeopardize the health and well-being of vulnerable children and entire communities.
Children’s fear extends to school
Sadly, our children face the additional burden of fear while at school – not just for themselves, but for their classmates and family members. I’ve had non-immigrant patients tell me that they want to protect their friends in case ICE approaches their school. It’s heartbreaking to hear children express concern for one another in such times of crisis. As adults, it is our responsibility to shoulder their fear by providing reassurance and ensuring we know our rights.
Over the past weeks, Connecticut schools have been working to implement guidelines and protocols for interacting with immigration officials in an effort to best protect their students and staff. However, there is growing concern that we will see a drop in school attendance, which has begun in other states including New York. This decline in attendance will further impact the quality of education and mental health of our children.
We look to our leaders to set the tone and to tell the truth. Importantly, we ask our leaders to remember that our children are innocent. It is time for lawmakers and our representatives to prioritize the safety and well-being of our children and families by supporting immigration policies that prioritize family unity and protection.
We must create safe spaces where every child – regardless of immigration status – can access the medical care and education they need, free from fear.
Leonela Villegas MD is a Hartford pediatrician and Member of CT American Academy of Pediatrics Advocacy Committee. The opinions expressed here are solely her own.
link
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(717x337:719x339)/Breanne-Heldman-Second-City-042625-e32870880a8049d9a1263e5bff50f979.jpg "Is Work My Whole Personality? How an Improv Class Helped My Mental Health")
