"Don't [B]other These People": The Influence of Post-9/11 Public Policies and Practices on the Social Determinants of Health for Latinas and Their Families - Findings from Detroit, MI

Background. Scholars have argued that the post-9/11 escalation of anti-immigrant sentiments and restrictive immigration policies may adversely affect Latino health. Latinos in Detroit are subject to heightened consequences of this context due to policies that grant local and federal law enforcement expanded immigration enforcement powers in border communities. These policies have important implications for maternal and child health among Latinas.   

Methods. This study draws from 38 in-depth interviews with Latina residents of Detroit aged 18 and older, who were immigrants or children of immigrants. This analysis focuses on the implications of immigration policies and anti-immigrant sentiment for Latina health, with particular attention to reproductive health.   

Results. Public policies and the agencies who enact them factored heavily in Latina’s lives. Components included: heightened surveillance in predominantly-Latino neighborhoods by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol; a state policy that denied driver’s licenses to immigrants who lacked documentation; license renewal clerks who regularly questioned Latina’s documentation status; administrative errors or other barriers in residency application processes; and discrimination from welfare case workers including questioning the documentation status of women and children and denial of Medicaid and SNAP benefits for which they were eligible. 

Discussion. Immigration policies and anti-immigrant sentiment have important implications for maternal and child health, including psychosocial stress, access to medical care, and access to adequate nutrition during and following pregnancy. We discuss strategies for change in policies and practices at public agencies (e.g., law enforcement, welfare offices, Secretary of State offices) to improve maternal and child health among Latinas.