Beyond Borders: The Mental Health of Undocumented Immigrants in the U.S.

EVELYN LYNCH – The United States of America is home to more immigrants than any other country in the world. As of 2021, about 45 million migrants were residing in the United States alone, with around 11 million estimated to be undocumented. Some models even suggest that this population is significantly higher – estimating that the true proportion of undocumented migrants could be as high as 22 million. This significant subset of the population faces unique challenges and often receives little to no assistance in addressing them. Undocumented migrants often endure isolation, poverty, and limited access to health care and social services. The mental health of this vulnerable population of undocumented immigrants in the United States is often overlooked; and a combination of socioeconomic disparity and a systemic lack of access to physical and mental health assistance results in the prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. 

Although many in the United States hold a negative perception of undocumented immigrants, a vast majority emigrate with the hope of accessing opportunities they weren’t afforded in their country of origin. Unfortunately, upon arrival, they often encounter even more barriers. 

Alex De Anda Rodriguez, a first-generation Mexican-American, enrolled in his second year of college studying Mechanical Engineering. He lives with his undocumented single mother in Georgia. When asked about his mother’s struggles, he recounted, “She came here for a better life…she wanted to go to college, but she never got those opportunities.” 

De Anda Rodriguez continued, “Getting decent jobs is a problem…any relatively decent job that pays a livable wage is almost always completely out of the question because they check [citizenship status] more thoroughly than lower paying jobs…that’s why you see a lot of immigrants in blue-collar work.”  The research supports this claim, with 17% of construction workers and 25% of farmworkers being undocumented. As a result, these populations often live well below the poverty line, with the 2007 median household income for undocumented immigrants being $36,000, well below the median household income of $50,000 for U.S citizens. Additionally, the poverty rate for undocumented immigrants is nearly double that of U.S. citizens.³ Without citizenship, unauthorized immigrants don’t qualify for Medicaid, and they typically cannot insure themselves through privatized insurance companies. Pew Research Center has found that more than half of unauthorized immigrants in 2007 had no health insurance. Furthermore, routine actions that may seem inconsequential to U.S. citizens can cause intense stress for those who are undocumented. Even the simple act of driving can cause acute anxiety, as in most states undocumented immigrants cannot possess a driver’s license. Rodriguez commented, “Even a routine traffic stop can be the difference between continuing to stay in the States and getting deported.” Fear of deportation is deeply prevalent in these communities and feeds into the chronic stress experienced by these groups. 

Unfortunately, socioeconomic barriers are in place that limit undocumented immigrants’ opportunities to remedy these issues by obtaining citizenship. The process of obtaining citizenship is often expensive and arduous. It costs 725 dollars just to apply for citizenship in the United States – which doesn’t even include the thousands spent on English classes or immigration lawyers. This is often unrealistic and unattainable for a disproportionately impoverished population.

All these socioeconomic barriers that uniquely affect undocumented immigrants can have detrimental effects on their mental well-being. In addition to low-paying jobs, limited access to healthcare, and the inability to even drive a vehicle legally in most states, these undocumented groups are often socially isolated from their families and support systems in a country where they often do not speak the language. De Anda Rodriguez recounted, “My mom has not seen her siblings or parents in over twenty years…she never got to go back and see her parents in Mexico before they passed.”  This is the unfortunate reality for many undocumented immigrants. A study published in the Clinical Social Work Journal found a direct link between feelings of isolation and lack of social support in undocumented immigrants who had a lower economic status, no health insurance, and didn’t speak English.   Loneliness and social isolation put individuals at higher risk for both mental illness and physical ailments.

“She seems to never truly be happy,” Rodriguez remarks of his mother, who is diagnosed with clinical depression, “There’s always something to worry about. And she doesn’t have the time or money to try and treat it.” Without access to healthcare and stigmas surrounding seeking out mental health services in these immigrant communities, these groups are especially vulnerable to the risks associated with their socioeconomic and citizenship status. 

Researchers have coined the term acculturative stress to refer to the level of psychosocial strain experienced by immigrants in response to immigration-related challenges. Acculturative stress specifically refers to when individuals encounter stressors they believe to be detrimental to their well-being and they subsequently lack the proper resources to address those issues. In the case of Latino immigrants, who make up the largest portion of undocumented immigrants,  acculturative stress is associated with negative psychological outcomes. These psychological outcomes include a higher incidence of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Without the proper resources to address these barriers, undocumented immigrant groups in the United States are placed in a uniquely difficult position. It is deeply important for us as a population to anticipate the mental and physical needs of undocumented immigrants to ensure the success of these individuals.

Copy Editor – Sameeka Prabath

Photography Source – https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/22/health/migrant-families-immigration-detention.html