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| William Lopez, PhD, MPH |
What are the long-term impacts of immigration raids on families and communities? William D. Lopez, a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, examined the deleterious effects of a daylong ICE raid in 2013 that targeted a Latino immigrant community in Washtenaw, Michigan. The confluence of Lopez’s scholarly and personal interest in public health and immigrant rights led him to field work that involved interviews with affected community members, the Washtenaw interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (WiCIR) and the local law enforcement agency. Lopez’s findings -- published in Separated: Family and Community in the Aftermath of an Immigration Raid -- shed light upon the economic, psychological and health impacts of brutal and violent immigration enforcement actions on those left behind.
In the U.S., undocumented people from mixed-status communities endure the dehumanizing trauma of detention and deportation, while those left behind cope with trauma, handle worsening health, avoid homelessness and keep their families together. Lopez relays the narrative of separation, witness of violence and experience of trauma through 24 interviews with 21 individuals. He conducted the interviews in English and Spanish, emphasizing the importance of the words used by subjects, paying close attention to how people talked about their experiences. Direct quotes are part of the power of the narrative: being able to “hear” through the page the pained voices of people deeply impacted by the ICE raid. The book highlights the cycle of trauma and economic struggle endured by U.S.- born children in mixed-status families, from experiencing and witnessing a violent attack on the community. One heartbreaking story involves 3-month-old Ignacio, who refused to nurse after the raid.
Separated is a must-read for anyone working on immigration policy and immigration enforcement, as well as leaders of law enforcement and social agencies serving immigrant communities. Even if their families are eligible to access public services like health care and nutrition support, the “river of fear” surrounding immigration enforcement and deportation affects willingness to access resources.In the aftermath of an immigration raid, families and individuals need resources to cope with the traumatic encounter with ICE and local SWAT teams.
Another important takeaway is the importance of unifying social movements demanding an end to state violence. What we learn from Separated is that immigration raids are part of the long legacy of police violence on Black and Brown communities. Therefore, there’s an opportunity for immigrant rights activists to learn from and work in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter, abolitionist and criminal justice reform movements.
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