Anti-immigrant policies & mental health
Anti-immigrant policies aren't just political drama—they're driving mental health crises in Latinx communities.
This isn't just stress
It's systemic trauma that is hitting generations.
How this actually affects us
Constant doomscrolling about deportations and family separations
Internalized stress from seeing your community portrayed as "threats"
Healthcare anxiety because seeking help = risking exposure
Examples of policies that hurt mental health
Zero Tolerance (2018): Family separations = intergenerational trauma
"Remain in Mexico": Forced waiting in dangerous conditions
Title 42: COVID-era policy used to quickly deport migrants
ICE Surveillance: Living with constant fear
Who gets hit hardest
Undocumented friends and family
Women & kids (46% of undocumented population)
LGBTQ+ individuals facing double discrimination
Indigenous & Afro-Latinx communities
Asylum seekers from Central America
What this means for Latinx mental health
Depression & anxiety rates increasing 📈
PTSD from constant threat awareness
Chronic stress that literally changes your body chemistry
Avoiding healthcare because it feels unsafe
Why this isn't just ‘being dramatic’
This isn't regular stress—it's structural trauma created by policies that treat people like problems instead of humans.
How to actually cope (for real)
For yourself & your community
Psycho education: Know that your feelings are valid responses to stressful situations
Community care: Support systems > solo suffering
Digital boundaries: Limit doomscrolling about immigration news
Safe spaces: Find therapists who get it
What Actually Helps
Talk about it
Silence = more stigma
Find your people
Community healing is real
Advocate smart
Use your voice where it matters
Practice radical self-care
Remember, self care is an act of political resistance
How to be a better ally
Do This:
Listen without centering yourself
Amplify Latinx voices in mental health spaces
Educate yourself on immigration policies
Support orgs doing actual work
Not That:
Don't trauma-dump on Latinx friends
Don't speak over lived experiences
Don't treat this as academic debate
Don't ignore the intersectionality
The Bottom Line
Immigration policies and mental health are not separate things. Understanding this helps us:
Stop blaming ourselves for systemic problems
Build better support networks
Advocate for actual change
Take care of each other better
Read the academic article that inspired this post, Buscando la Calma Dentro de la Tormenta: A Brief Review of the Recent Literature on the Impact of Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric and Policies on Stress Among Latinx Immigrants by Oscar Fernando Rojas Perez, Michelle Alejandra Silva, Thania Galvan, OswaldoMoreno, Amanda Venta, Luz Garcini, and Manuel Pari, here: https://doi.org/10.1177/24705470231182475.
