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. 2022 Aug;24(4):937-944.
doi: 10.1007/s10903-022-01346-4. Epub 2022 Feb 28.

Differences in Barriers to Healthcare and Discrimination in Healthcare Settings Among Undocumented Immigrants by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Status

Rebecca Woofter  1 , May Sudhinaraset  2
Affiliations

Differences in Barriers to Healthcare and Discrimination in Healthcare Settings Among Undocumented Immigrants by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Status

Rebecca Woofter et al. J Immigr Minor Health. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Undocumented immigrants face barriers to and discrimination in healthcare, but those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status may fare better. This analysis uses the cross-sectional BRAVE Study of young undocumented Latinx and Asian immigrants to examine differences in barriers to and discrimination in healthcare by DACA status. A majority of respondents experienced financial, language, and cultural barriers, and up to half experienced documentation status barriers, discrimination when seeking healthcare or by a health provider, and negative experiences related to documentation status. In multivariable analyses, DACA recipients have over 90% lower odds of language and cultural barriers, approximately 80% lower odds of discrimination when seeking healthcare and by a health provider, and approximately 70% lower odds of documentation status barriers and negative experience related to documentation status compared to nonrecipients. These findings indicate that DACA recipients experience fewer barriers to healthcare and discrimination in healthcare compared to nonrecipients.

Keywords: Barriers; Deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA); Discrimination; Healthcare; Undocumented immigrants.

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