A recent executive order has escalated immigration enforcement efforts in the United States, reigniting fears and causing profound psychological distress across immigrant communities.
While these policies are framed around national security, the emotional and mental health consequences tell a different story — one marked by fear, trauma, and isolation.
The true cost of these policies is not abstract. It is visible in the anxiety of parents dropping their children off at school, not knowing if they’ll be there to pick them up. It’s in the behavior changes of children who suddenly begin to withdraw, lash out or stop sleeping through the night. It’s in the despair of entire families forced to live in the shadows, afraid to seek medical care or report crimes. These are not political arguments — they are daily realities we’ve observed in our work.
Children are among the most vulnerable victims of these enforcement practices. When parents are detained or deported, the emotional fallout for their children is immediate and long-lasting. According to the Society for Research in Child Development, separations of this kind sharply increase the risk for anxiety, depression, behavioral issues and symptoms resembling post-traumatic stress. These children, often U.S. citizens themselves, carry the psychological burden of these traumatic disruptions for years.
Recent studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found that citizen children experience high levels of emotional distress and developmental regression when their parents are detained or deported. These impacts don’t resolve with reunification; the trauma lingers, shaping how children grow, learn and connect with others.
The psychological consequences extend far beyond immigrant families. Social workers, law enforcement officers, Border Patrol agents and health care professionals who engage with these communities are not immune. According to a 2022 review published in Occupational Medicine, many border security personnel report symptoms of moral injury, burnout and emotional exhaustion due to the high-stress and ethically complex nature of their work.
The expansion of Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act — which allows local and state law enforcement to act as immigration officers, has only heightened community fear. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this program has led to entire neighborhoods becoming reluctant to engage with any public services, from hospitals to schools to law enforcement, for fear of being detained or deported.
We’ve seen this before. During a prior administration’s family separation policy, trauma was widespread. Physicians for Human Rights documented severe psychological consequences among both parents and children — anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, nightmares and signs of developmental regression. Even after reunification, those scars remain.
Current policy decisions that remove protections and narrow asylum pathways are not simply administrative changes; they have real, painful consequences. For many asylum-seekers, trauma begins long before they arrive in the United States. Fleeing violence, persecution or poverty, they often arrive physically and emotionally depleted. When met with detention, restricted entry or forced return, they are retraumatized. Detention centers, often overcrowded and under-resourced, fail to provide even basic mental health support. Those denied temporary humanitarian relief are forced to face uncertain futures or return to danger.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Credit: Luz Garcini/contributor
Credit: Luz Garcini/contributor
This approach does more than compromise mental health — it challenges the moral fabric of our society. A country that prides itself on inclusion, hope and opportunity must live up to those values in its immigration policies. Criminalizing desperation and weaponizing fear are not sustainable or ethical strategies.
We must shift our approach. Humane, comprehensive reform should focus on both the root causes of migration and the emotional resilience of those affected. International partnerships can help improve conditions in migrants’ home countries. Domestically, we need pathways to temporary legalization and programs that support integration through workforce training, education and culturally responsive mental health services.
Policies that recognize the humanity of migrants and the emotional toll of enforcement don’t just help immigrants — they strengthen our society. When communities feel safe and supported, public trust rises. When children grow up without fear of losing a parent, they thrive. When those enforcing the law are not asked to carry the weight of moral conflict, they serve with greater dignity.
If we truly want to be a country of hope and opportunity, we must prioritize mental health and emotional well-being in every conversation about immigration, and we must build the infrastructure to take care of those who are suffering. The long-term damage inflicted by punitive policies can only be addressed through compassion, reflection and a renewed commitment to justice.
The United States must rise to the challenge, not just to protect borders but to protect people.
Pierluigi Mancini is the president and CEO of the Multicultural Development Institute. He is a national and international leader in mental health, addiction, and health equity.
Luz Garcini is the Director of Community and Public Health at the Kinder Institute of Urban Research, a faculty scholar at the Baker Institute, and an Assistant Professor in Psychological Sciences at Rice University.
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