Health, Medicine, and Society - Faculty Brown Bag

Federal partnerships, state policies, and latinx students: the impacts of federal and state immigration enforcement policies on latinx schooling 

Mary Mitsdarffer 

Postdoctoral Research Associate Health Justice Collaborative and Institute for Critical Race and Ethnic Studies 

Over the last 20 years, federal and state immigration enforcement policies have grown in number and severity. Interior immigration enforcement policies aim to identify and remove unauthorized immigrants residing in the United States, many of whom are from Latin American countries and are parents of U.S. citizens. Increased enforcement efforts are linked to social and structural harm toward Latinx families- i.e. economic instability, poor mental health, and adverse schooling outcomes. Latinx children are the largest ethnic minority group in the American public school system and continue to maintain the highest high school dropout rates. This research estimates the temporal relationship between the activation of state and federal interior immigration enforcement policies and changes in Latinx school enrollment between 2000-2016 using difference-in-difference methodology.  Data were drawn from the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data and 287(g), Secure Communities Program, and State Omnibus Immigration Law policy activation dates. A total of 3,089 counties were observed over the 16 year timespan (N= 45,895). Findings indicate that when local law enforcement agencies enter into partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)- i.e. 287(g) partnerships and the Secure Communities Program- Latinx student enrollment decreases significantly by roughly 3.53%. However, the same consequences are not observed when states originate policies outside of federal ICE partnerships. These findings illustrate the harmful effects of immigration enforcement policies, principally due to the presence of ICE, for Latinx scholastic achievement and hold negative implications for lifelong health and well-being as this child minority-majority ages into adulthood. 

 

 

Friday, October 8, 2021 | 1:00 p.m. | In Person: Maginnes 101 or Virtual ZOOM: go.lehigh.edu/hmsbrownbag1