Post #4789

Researchers unite to frame deportations as a national health crisis Current U.S. immigration enforcement and deportation policies are producing widespread harm to physical and mental health, with family separation and the specters of fear and intimidation affecting the well-being of immigrant and non-immigrant communities. That's the warning from several longtime public health researchers, who also outline proven community and policy actions that could reduce harm and strengthen health in communities across the nation. Professors from five U.S. research universities called for health care professionals and researchers to advocate for the end of deportations and restrictive immigration policies. Their insights appear in the journal Health Affairs. Two academic briefs were published on Nov. 6, both supporting an editorial published on Aug. 5. "These articles bring together years of research that paint a very clear picture: immigration enforcement harms the health of immigrants and their communities," said co-author Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, an associate professor at the Department of Public Health in the University of California, Merced's School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts. Contrary to the principles of public health The researchers argue that deportation is a violent act and incompatible with the principles of public health. They describe an immigration system in which tens of thousands of people are held in unsafe prisons, often suffering from neglect and abuse. Families left behind face the loss of income and caregivers, leading to stress, anxiety and economic instability that spills across entire communities. They contend that fear of raids and detention prevents many immigrants from seeking medical care or reporting crimes, weakening public safety. Deportation should be recognized as a public health threat. The researchers support "community care"—support networks that provide emotional, legal and material aid during enforcement actions. Through community care, they said, solidarity, advocacy and protection become essential health interventions. "As professionals committed to population health and the well-being of all communities," the authors said, "there is an opening for us to push for a nation where immigrants are not targeted with violent arrest, deportation or removal." One of the briefs takes a step back and describes how three decades of exclusionary immigration policy have harmed immigrants and U.S.-born residents. Federal actions since the 1990s have shifted immigration matters from civil to criminal law, expanded detention and restricted access to public benefits. Enforcement budgets have ballooned from $4 billion in 2000 to more than $25 billion in 2020, with another $170 billion approved in 2025, the authors say. Source:Phys.org @EverythingScience