Last week, the National Council of La Raza and the Urban Institute released a groundbreaking paper, aptly titled “Paying the Price: The Impact of Immigration Raids on America’s Children.” Yesterday we attended a panel discussion on the results of that study. With one of us working on children’s issues and one on immigration, we were both drawn to this topic. We were excited that these organizations had managed to look at the issue of immigration from a new angle and we were inspired to look at our own issues with a broader lens. By the end of the panel, we were convinced that that advocates for children and immigrants should be working together to ensure that the welfare of children of immigrants is always a main concern.
Researchers visited three communities (Greeley, Colorado, Grand Island, Nebraska, and New Bedford, Massachusetts) that had experienced work-site raids within the past year. Based on the data they gathered, researchers found that immigration raids put children at high-risk of family separation, economic hardship, and psychological trauma. With about five million U.S. children currently living with at least one undocumented parent, the consequences of a raid could be staggering. These children, the report notes, are “emotionally, financially, and developmentally dependent on their parents’ care, protection, and earnings,” and can be significantly affected by the loss of a parent—whether for a night, six months, or forever.
This study also included recommendations to address the problem. Researchers suggested community organizations and social service providers help immigrant families develop strategic plans for preparedness in case a single parent or primary caregiver is arrested. Researchers also encouraged federal, state, and local governments to provide oversight of immigration enforcement activities to ensure that children are adequately considered and protected.
Most importantly, members of the panel emphasized that immigration reform will only be comprehensive if it takes the needs of children of immigrants into consideration. Minimizing the risks they are exposed to must be a top priority.
