Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Jul 15;19(1):947.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7290-3.

A qualitative study on the impact of the 2016 US election on the health of immigrant families in Southeast Michigan

Paul J Fleming  1 , William D Lopez  2 , Hannah Mesa  2 , Raymond Rion  3 , Ellen Rabinowitz  4 , Richard Bryce  5 , Monika Doshi  2
Affiliations

A qualitative study on the impact of the 2016 US election on the health of immigrant families in Southeast Michigan

Paul J Fleming et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Given the anti-immigrant rhetoric and policy proposals by President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign and afterwards, his election to president in November 2016 and subsequent policy changes has affected immigrant families. In this study, we aim to better understand how post-election policy change may have impacted the health and well-being, including health and social service utilization, of Latino immigrants in Southeastern Michigan.

Methods: We conducted 28 in-depth interviews with frontline staff at two Federally Qualified Health Centers and a non-profit agency. These staff had intimate knowledge of and insights into the lived experiences of the mixed-status immigrant families they serve. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically.

Results: Our findings show three major themes: (1) An increased and pervasive fear of deportation and family separation among mixed-status immigrant clients, (2) The fear of deportation and family separation has resulted in fractures in community cohesion, and (3) Fear of deportation and family separation has had an impact on the healthcare utilization and health-related behaviors of mixed-status families. Staff members report that these three factors have had an impact on physical and mental health of these immigrant clients.

Conclusions: These results add to previous literature on the effect of immigration policies on the health and provide key insights for interventions to improve the health of immigrants within this socio-political environment.

Keywords: Deportation; FQHC; Michigan; Trump; United States; WIC.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

We have no competing interests to disclose.

References

    1. Medina J. A broader sweep: a day in the field with immigration enforcers in California. The New York Times July. 2017;21.
    1. Page KR, Polk S. Chilling effect? Post-election health care use by undocumented and mixed-status families. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(12):e20. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1700829. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lopez WD, Kruger DJ, Delva J, Llanes M, Ledón C, Waller A, et al. Health implications of an immigration raid: findings from a Latino Community in the Midwestern United States. J Immigr Minor Health. 2017;19(3):702–708. doi: 10.1007/s10903-016-0390-6. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sullivan MM, Rehm R. Mental health of undocumented Mexican immigrants: a review of the literature. ANS Adv Nurs Sci. 2005;28(3):240–251. doi: 10.1097/00012272-200507000-00006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Maldonado CZ, Rodriguez RM, Torres JR, Flores YS, Lovato LM. Fear of discovery among Latino immigrants presenting to the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med. 2013;20(2):155–161. doi: 10.1111/acem.12079. - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms