Emotional responses and inquiries: The influence of California politics...
The detention of a father in La Mirada on June 18, 2023, during a landscaping job has left his 11-year-old daughter, Isella, in distress. Isella has been experiencing frequent stomachaches, bursts of tears, and a general sense of not being OK. The specific symptoms observed in Isella are indicative of the children's distress due to the immigration enforcement.
Research shows that hardline immigration enforcement—including detention, deportation, and family separation—disrupts children's emotional well-being, stability, and sense of safety. This leads to anxiety, depression, behavioral changes, school avoidance, and difficulty concentrating. The harm affects children differently depending on their age and developmental stage, with infants facing attachment disruptions, school-age children experiencing fear and anxiety, and adolescents developing depression while assuming adult responsibilities prematurely.
Beyond direct impacts, enforcement fosters community-wide fear and mistrust, weakening schools, clinics, and other safe spaces essential for children's development. This is seen in increased student absenteeism, avoidance of educational and childcare programs, and a chilling effect where immigrant families withdraw from public or early childhood systems out of fear. These patterns undermine children's social integration, identity, and cohesion, with long-term consequences.
Mental health professionals emphasize the importance of treating immigration enforcement as a public health issue and integrating trauma-informed, culturally sensitive responses. They advocate for policies that protect children’s basic rights to safety, family unity, education, and identity to mitigate these harms.
Unfortunately, the article does not mention any efforts to support or assist Isella and her family during this difficult time.
References:
[1] American Psychological Association. (2020). The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Children and Families. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/pi/families/resources/immigration/impact-enforcement
[2] National Immigration Law Center. (2019). The Mental Health Crisis Among Immigrant Children and Families. Retrieved from https://www.nilc.org/issues/immigrant-youth/mental-health-crisis/
[3] Migration Policy Institute. (2018). The Mental Health and Well-being of Children in Immigrant Families. Retrieved from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/mental-health-and-well-being-children-immigrant-families
[4] National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2017). Immigration and Trauma: Helping Children and Families Cope. Retrieved from https://www.nctsn.org/resources/immigration-and-trauma-helping-children-and-families-cope
[5] Child Mind Institute. (2018). The Effects of Immigration Stress on Children. Retrieved from https://childmind.org/article/effects-of-immigration-stress-on-children/
The discussion on the impacts of immigration enforcement, such as family separation and detention, reveals a correlation between these policies and children's distress, including anxiety, depression, and behavioral changes. Policies that support children's basic rights to safety, family unity, education, and identity are advocated to mitigate these harms, especially in the context of community-wide fear and mistrust. Unfortunately, Isella and her family, who have been affected by the detention, may not have received any support during this difficult time.
