Abstract
Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies in the USA have increased in recent decades. Immigration detention has more than tripled since the 1990s, and recently there has been an increase in women and children being held in immigration detention. The length of detention and treatment immigrant detainees face often violate international human rights laws. In this study, we use Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to examine the impact of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants. A focus group was conducted in Arizona after the implementation of several anti-immigrant bills, including SB1070, as well as the increase of anti-immigrant rhetoric prior to the 2016 US presidential election. The focus group was conducted in Spanish with 11 adult Latina/o immigrants (females = 7, males = 4). After completing a thematic analysis of the transcribed data, four major themes emerged: (1) abuse of power by ICE officials, Border Patrol, detention center officers, and medical personnel; (2) mistreatment, including humiliation, discrimination, and dehumanization; (3) trauma; and (4) finding strength through their religiosity and children, despite being held in immigration detention. These findings, along with a review of the relevant literature, highlight the harmful impacts of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants, and suggest the need for immigration reform.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Arbona, C., Olvera, N., Rodriguez, N., Hagan, J., Linares, A., & Wisner, M. (2010). Acculturative stress among documented and undocumented Latino immigrants in the United States. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 32(3), 362–384. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986310373210
Ash, K. (2005). U.S. Reservations to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Credibility maximization and global influence. Northwestern Journal of International Human Rights, 3(1), 1–14.
Becerra, D. (2016). Anti-immigration policies and fear of deportation: A human rights issue. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1(3), 109–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-016-0018-8
Becerra, D., Hernandez, G., Porchas, F., Castillo, J., Nguyen, V., & Perez-González, R. (2020). Immigration policies and mental health: Examining the relationship between immigration enforcement and depression, anxiety, and stress among Latino immigrants. Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work, 29(1–3), 43–59. https://doi.org/10.1080/15313204.2020.1731641
Berthold, S. M., & Libal, K. (2016). Migrant children’s rights to health and rehabilitation: A primer for US social workers. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 1, 85–95.
Bonfiglio, G., Rosal, K., Henao-Martínez, A., Franco-Paredes, C., Poeschla, E. M., Moo-Young, J., Seefeldt, T., Dunlevy, H., Haas, M., & Young, J. (2020). The long journey inside immigration detention centres in the USA. Journal of Travel Medicine, 27(7), 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa083
Brabeck, K., & Xu, Q. (2010). The impact of detention and deportation on Latino immigrant children and families: A quantitative exploration. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 32, 341–361. https://doi.org/10.1177/0739986310374053
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Butera, E., & Obser, K. (2017, October). The detention of women seeking asylum in the United States. www.womensrefugeecommision.org. https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Prison-for-Survivors-REPORT-FINAL.pdf
Chung, E. (2016). The judicial enforceability and legal effects of treaty reservations, understandings, and declarations. Yale Law Journal, 1(126), 170–224.
Coffey, G. J., Kaplan, I., Sampson, R. C., & Tucci, M. M. (2010). The meaning and mental health consequences of long-term immigration detention for people seeking asylum. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 70(12), 2070–2079. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.02.042
Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. (2018). Management Alert – Issues Requiring Action at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California. https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/Mga/2018/oig-18-86-sep18.pdf
Detention Watch Network. (n.d.). Immigration Detention 101. https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/issues/detention-101
Detention Watch Network and National Immigrant Justice Center. (2018). ICE lies: Public deception, private profit. https://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/sites/default/files/reports/IceLies_NIJC_DWN.pdf
Dias, I. (2019, August 1). ICE is detaining more people than ever- and for longer. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/news/ice-is-detaining-more-people-than-ever-and-for-longer
Entralgo, R. (2021). Tackling prison profiteers will take more than banning private prisons. Institute for Policy Studies. Washington, DC. https://ips-dc.org/tackling-prison-profiteers-will-take-more-than-banning-private-prisons/
Erfani, A. (2020, June 17). Beyond solidarity: 3 reasons why the fight against white supremacy is an immigrant rights priority. National Immigrant Justice Center. Retrieved September 11, 2021, from https://immigrantjustice.org/staff/blog/beyond-solidarity-3-reasons-why-fight-against-white-supremacy-immigrant-rights-priority
Ewing, W. A., Martinez, D. E., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2015). The criminalization of immigration in the United States. American Immigration Council. Washington, DC. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/the_criminalization_of_immigration_in_the_united_states.pdf
Franco, D. (2020). This land is our land: Exploring the impact of U.S. immigration policies on social work practice. Journal of Progressive Services, 31(1),21–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/10428232.2019.1583956
Gilman, D. & Romero, L. (2018). Immigration detention, Inc. Journal of Migration and Human Security, 6(2), 145–160.
González, J. C., & Portillos, E. L. (2007). The undereducation and overcriminalization of U.S. Latinas/os: A Post-Los Angeles riots LatCrit analysis. Educational Studies (Ames), 42(3), 247–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131940701634643
Gransky, M., Keller, A., & Venters, H. (2015). Death rates among detained immigrants in the United States. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12, 14414–14419. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph121114414
Gunkel, S., & González Wahl, A. (2012). Unauthorized migrants and the (Il)Logic of “crime control”: A human rights perspective on US federal and local state immigration policies. Sociology Compass, 6(1), 26–45. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2011.00435.x
Hayward, K. S., & Pehrsson, D. E. (2000). Interdisciplinary action supporting sexual assault prevention efforts in rural elementary schools. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 17(3), 141–150.
Human Rights First. (2015). U.S. detention of families seeking asylum. Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/sites/default/files/hrf-one-yr-familydetention-report.pdf
Human Rights Watch. (2016, March 23). “Do You See How Much I’m Suffering Here?” Abuse against transgender women in US immigration detention. https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/03/23/do-you-see-how-much-im-suffering-here/abuse-against-transgender-women-us
Human Rights Watch, American Civil Liberties Union, National Immigrant Justice Center, and Detention Watch Network (eds). (2018). Code red: The fatal consequences of dangerously substandard medical care in immigration detention. New York. Human Rights Watch.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. (2019). IACHR conducted visit to the United States’ Southern border. Organization of American States. Washington, DC. https://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2019/228.asp
International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). (2019). Statement of IFSW-LAC for the humanitarian crisis on the border of Mexico with the United States. Switzerland. https://www.ifsw.org/statement-of-ifsw-lac-for-the-humanitarian-crisis-on-the-border-of-mexico-with-the-united-states/
International Justice Resource Center. (2018). Ten human rights standards implicated by U.S. immigration policy changes. https://ijrcenter.org/2018/06/27/ten-human-rights-standards-implicated-by-u-s-immigration-policy/
Kiehne, E. (2016). Latino critical perspective in social work. Social Work, 61(2), 119–126. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/sww001
Kriel, L. (2020, August 14). ICE guards "systematically" sexually assault detainees in an El Paso detention center, lawyers say. The Texas Tribune. https://www.texastribune.org/2020/08/14/texas-immigrant-detention-ice-el-paso-sexual-abuse/
Krueger, R. A., & Casey, M. A. (2001). Designing and conducting focus group interviews. In R. A. Krueger, M. A. Casey, J. Donner, S. Kirsch, & J. N. Maack (Eds.), Social analysis: Selected tools and topics (pp. 4–23). Social Development Department. The World Bank.
Latinx Therapist Action Network. (n.d.). Guiding principles. https://latinxtherapistsactionnetwork.org/
Lechuga-Peña, S., & Brisson, D. (2018). Barriers to school-based parent involvement while living in public housing: A mother’s perspective. Qualitative Report, 23(5), 1176-1187. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2018.3062
Lechuga-Peña, S., & Lechuga, C. (2018). Xicanisma/o and education: Counter storytelling and narratives to inform Latina/o student success. Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work, 33(3), 300–316. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886109917747633
Linhorst, D. M. (2002). A review of the use and potential of focus groups in social work research. Qualitative Social Work, 1(2), 208–228. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473325002001002620
Luan, L. (2018). Profiting from enforcement: The role of private prisons in U.S. immigration detention. Migration Policy Institute. Retrieved from https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/profiting-enforcement-role-private-prisons-us-immigration-detention
Markowitz, D. M., & Slovic, P. (2020). Social, psychological, and demographic characteristics of dehumanization toward immigrants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(17), 9260–9269.
Menjívar, C., Gómez Cervantes, A., & Alvord, D. (2018). The expansión of “crimmigration”, mass detention, and deportation. Sociology Compass, 12(4), 1–15.
Mijente. (n.d.). Our DNA. https://mijente.net/our-dna/
Minero, L. P., Domínguez Jr, S., Budge, S. L, & Salcedo, B. (2021). Latinx trans immigrants’ survival of torture in U.S. detention: A qualitative investigation of the psychological impact of abuse and mistreatment. International Journal of Transgender Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2021.1938779
Moldonado, A., & Moldonado, R. Y. (2012). Still afraid of our brown faces, educated Latinos, narratives, and critical race theory-Recordando a Derrick Bell. Power Play, 4(1), 1–10.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW). (2017). Code of Ethics of the National Association of Social Workers. NASW.
National Association of Social Workers. (2021). Social work speaks. (12th ed.). NASW Press.
National Immigration Law Center. (2014). How ICE uses local criminal justice systems to funnel people into the detention and deportation system. Berkeley, CA. https://www.nilc.org/issues/immigration-enforcement/localjusticeandice/
Ortega, D. M., Graybill, L., & Lasch, C. N. (2015). Enacting and sustaining trauma and violence through policy enforcement: Family immigration detention. Affilia, 30(3), 281–285.
Pérez Huber, L., Lopez, C. B., Malagon, M. C., Velez, V., & Solorzano, D. G. (2008). Getting beyond the “symptom”, acknowledging the “disease”: Theorizing racist nativism. Contemporary Justice Review, 11(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/102825807001850397
Puente Human Rights Movement. (n.d.). Puente movement for justice. https://puenteaz.org/criminaljustice/
Ryo, E., & Peacock, I. (2018). A national study of immigration detention in the United States. Southern California Law Review, 92(1), 1–68.
Saadi, A., De Trinidad Young, M. -E., Patler, C., Estrada, J. L., & Venters, H. (2020). Understanding US immigration detention: Reaffirming rights and addressing social-structural determinants of health. Health and Human Rights, 22(1), 187–198.
Sawyer, W., & Wagner, P. (2020). Mass incarceration: The whole pie 2020. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/pie2020.html
Shenton, A. K. (2004). Strategies for ensuring trustworthiness in qualitative research projects. Education for Information, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.3233/EFI-2004-22201
Shepherd, K. (2020). Indigneous people face persistent language access challenges in immigration detention. Immigration Impact. American Immigration Council. https://immigrationimpact.com/2020/10/12/indigenous-people-language-barriers-immigration/
Smith, S., Gillen, M., Brito, J., Kahn, F., Lewy, R., Ricardo, F., & Ramirez Diaz, L. J. (2020). Family separation in the sunshine state: Preparing for the traumatic impact and economic costs of immigrant parent deportation on Florida’s child welfare system. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, 5, 78–93.
Solorzano, D., & Delgado Bernal, D. (2001). Examining transformational resistance through a critical race and Latcrit theory framework: Chicana and Chicano students in an urban context. Urban Education, 36(3), 308–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085901363002
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). (2016). Shadow prisons: Immigrant detention in the South. https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/ijp_shadow_prisons_immigrant_detention_report.pdf
Sweet, P. L. (2019). The sociology of “gaslighting.” American Sociological Review, 84(5), 851–875. https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122419874843
Texas Law Immigration Clinic and Grassroots Leadership. (2021). Cruelty and corruption: Contracting to lock up immigrant women for profit. Immigration Clinic, School of Law. University of Texas. https://grassrootsleadership.org/sites/default/files/reports/utlaw_hutto_rpt_2.pdf
Tovino, S. A. (2016). The grapes of wrath: On the health of immigration detainees. Boston College Law Review, 57(1), 167–226.
Turnbull, S. (2017). Immigration detention and punishment. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079. 013.231.
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner. (n.d.). Status of Ratification Interactive Dashboard. Ratification of 18 Human Rights Treaties. Geneva, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.231
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (2021). Detention management. Washington, DC. https://www.ice.gov/detain/detention-management
von Werthern, M., Robjant, K., Chui, Z., Schon, R., Ottisova, L., Mason, C., & Katona, C. (2018). The impact of immigration detention on mental health: A systematic review. BMC Psychiatry, 18(1), 382–382. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-018-1945-y
Wilson, L. (2021, May 4). Violence Against Women and Girls in ICE Custody. Global Rights for Women. https://globalrightsforwomen.org/featured/violence-against-women-and-girls-ice-custody/
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Becerra, D., Lechuga-Peña, S., Castillo, J. et al. “Esto no se lo deseo a nadie”: the Impact of Immigration Detention on Latina/o Immigrants. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work 7, 361–372 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-022-00210-7
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-022-00210-7