Many Latino/as are members of mixed-status immigrant communities, or communities composed of individuals of all immigration legal statuses. Issues related to immigration thus play a large role in Latino/a health and well-being. The Encuesta Buenos Vecinos, a collaborative survey between Washtenaw County Public Health, Casa Latina, and the University of Michigan, was the first systematic assessment of Latino/a social and health issues in Washtenaw County, MI. Midway through data collection, an immigration home raid occurred in Washtenaw County, providing the opportunity for a natural experiment. We examined survey responses on items related to immigration concerns from those who participated before versus after the raid.

We divided participants whose participation dates could be confirmed into two groups, before (n = 325) vs. after (n = 151) the raid, and compared responses to three items that used a five-option scale (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree): "My legal status has limited contact with my family and friends," “I will be reported to immigration if I go to a social service agency," and "I fear the consequences of deportation." Participants who completed the survey after the raid had significantly greater concerns. These effects were stronger for those who were foreign born and those who had children in their households.

The current study demonstrates the community impact of an immigration home raid on psychosocial concerns using a community-representative sample. Findings suggest that these raids may act as acute reminders to Latino/as in mixed-status communities of their collective legal vulnerabilities, with impacts on community psychosocial health.