Implications of Undocumented Status for Latinx Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Call to Action.

BACKGROUND: A disproportionate number of COVID-19 cases and deaths have been reported among Latinxs in the U.S. Among those most affected by the pandemic are marginalized families, including those that are undocumented and mixed-status, in which some, but not all members are undocumented. Undocumented and mixed-status families face multiple and chronic daily stressors that compromised their health and wellbeing. Salient stressors faced by undocumented Latinx families include poverty, social disadvantage, discrimination, dangerous living and working conditions, and limited access to healthcare. These stressors are frequently compounded with trauma, fear of detention, deportation, and family separation. PURPOSE: Informed by the literature and insights from our community-based work to address the health needs of undocumented and mixed status Latinx families during the pandemic, this paper uses a social determinants of health lens to present a narrative summary that highlights four primary psychosocial stressors faced by these families and their implications for mental health. DISCUSSION: These include stressors pertaining to (a) anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions; (b) family stressors and disruptions in family dynamics; (c) economic changes and financial losses; and (c) limited access to healthcare. Implications of the aforesaid stressors on the mental health of undocumented families and youth are also discussed. In addition, recommendations are provided for the provision of mental health services, best practices, and resources from a strengths-based approach.

Undocumented and Unprotected: Health Challenges for Immigrants During the Covid-19 Pandemic

From the Introduction: The novel coronavirus has led to a global health and economic crisis that has shaken nations, urging policymakers to develop solutions to mitigate the pandemic's impact. The United States has passed several economic relief bills including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), to 'lessen the coronavirus pandemic's human and economic toll.' Unfortunately, these bills leave out entire segments of our country's population, including undocumented immigrants, and do not fully address the barriers immigrant communities face in obtaining health care. Access to health care is critical during a pandemic to mitigate the impact of the virus and to slow the spread of the disease.COVID-19 (Disease);Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act;Healthcare