Experts detail how deportation and detention fuel fear, illness, and community instability – News-Medical

Impact of U.S. Immigration Enforcement on Sustainable Development Goals

A report based on research from public health experts at five U.S. universities indicates that current immigration enforcement and deportation policies in the United States are causing significant harm that directly contravenes multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings, published in Health Affairs, detail how these policies undermine public health, economic stability, and social equity, calling for a realignment of national priorities toward community investment and well-being.

Direct Contravention of SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The research presents deportation as a public health threat, incompatible with the principles of SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all. The negative health impacts are widespread, affecting both immigrant and non-immigrant communities.

Physical and Mental Health Deterioration

• Policies of family separation, detention, and deportation are primary drivers of severe stress, anxiety, and other adverse mental health outcomes.
• Fear and intimidation within communities lead to a reduced use of healthcare services, which can worsen chronic conditions such as heart disease, negatively impact maternal health, and exacerbate mental illness.
• Tens of thousands of individuals are held in detention facilities described as unsafe, where they often suffer from neglect and abuse, further damaging their physical and mental health.

Socioeconomic Repercussions and a Challenge to SDG 1, 8, and 10

The enforcement actions have profound socioeconomic consequences that challenge the progress toward ending poverty (SDG 1), promoting decent work (SDG 8), and reducing inequality (SDG 10).

Economic Instability and Poverty (SDG 1 & 8)

• The deportation of family members results in the immediate loss of income and caregivers.
• This loss creates significant economic instability for the families left behind, pushing them toward poverty and undermining their economic security.

Exacerbation of Inequalities (SDG 10)

• Three decades of exclusionary policies have shifted immigration from a civil to a criminal matter, disproportionately targeting specific populations and deepening societal inequalities.
• The expansion of enforcement budgets, from $4 billion in 2000 to over $25 billion in 2020, reflects a systemic choice that prioritizes punitive measures over inclusive social and economic support.

Undermining Safe Communities and Just Institutions (SDG 11 & 16)

The report highlights how current policies erode the foundations of safe communities (SDG 11) and strong, just institutions (SDG 16) by fostering fear and undermining public trust.

Weakened Community Safety and Cohesion (SDG 11)

• A climate of fear prevents many immigrants from seeking medical care or reporting crimes, including domestic violence, which weakens public safety for the entire community.
• This breakdown of social trust is a direct obstacle to building inclusive, safe, and resilient communities.

Erosion of Trust in Institutions (SDG 16)

• Aggressive enforcement tactics undermine trust in public health and law enforcement institutions.
• The call to divest from deportation and reinvest in community infrastructure, education, and healthcare is a direct appeal to build more effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

Recommended Interventions to Align with SDG Principles

The researchers propose a series of evidence-based policy and community actions to mitigate harm and better align with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Policy and Institutional Reforms

1. Limit Enforcement Cooperation: Reduce fear and improve community well-being by limiting the cooperation of local law enforcement with federal immigration agents.
2. Expand Access to Identification: Increase access to driver’s licenses and photo IDs to improve physical and mental health by reducing stress and the risk of negative police encounters.
3. Strengthen Privacy Protections: Healthcare organizations should build trust by strengthening patient privacy, avoiding unnecessary collection of immigration data, and partnering with legal aid groups.
4. Reallocate Funding: Divest from punitive enforcement budgets and reinvest in community-focused services such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure to promote sustainable development.

Community-Led Initiatives

• Community Care Networks: Support networks that provide emotional, legal, and material aid are essential health interventions that build solidarity and protection.
• Rapid Response Systems: Hotlines, legal accompaniment programs, and immigrant bond funds provide direct support during raids and detentions, turning collective anxiety into collective action and building community resilience.

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article’s central theme is the “widespread harm to physical and mental health” caused by U.S. immigration policies. It explicitly states that these policies lead to “stress, anxiety,” worsen “heart disease, maternal health and mental illness,” and that deportation should be recognized as a “public health threat.” This directly connects the issue to the core mission of SDG 3, which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The policies discussed in the article target a specific population—immigrants—based on their origin and legal status, creating significant inequalities in health outcomes, safety, and access to services. The article highlights how “exclusionary immigration policy” harms immigrants and restricts their access to public benefits, directly relating to SDG 10’s goal of reducing inequality within and among countries by empowering and promoting the inclusion of all, irrespective of origin or other status.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article critiques the institutional framework of immigration enforcement, describing it as a system where “tens of thousands of people are held in unsafe prisons, often suffering from neglect and abuse.” The researchers label deportation as a “violent act” and note that fear of enforcement undermines public safety by preventing people from “reporting crimes.” This aligns with SDG 16’s aims to reduce violence, promote the rule of law, ensure equal access to justice, and build effective, accountable institutions.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  A specific connection to SDG 5 is made through the article’s mention of issues that disproportionately affect women. It notes that fear of deportation can lead to a worsening of “maternal health” and prevents the “reporting of domestic violence,” which is a key barrier to eliminating violence against women and ensuring their health and well-being.

Specific Targets Identified

• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

  The article directly addresses this target by detailing how immigration enforcement policies produce “widespread harm to… mental health,” leading to “stress, anxiety and… mental illness.” It also notes that the reduction of self-care due to fear can “worsen heart disease,” a major non-communicable disease.

• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

  The article provides evidence that current policies work against this target. It states that “fear of raids and detention prevents many immigrants from seeking medical care or… vaccinations,” thereby denying a segment of the population access to essential health-care services.

• Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies.

  The article argues that current U.S. policies are the opposite of “safe” and “well-managed” from a public health perspective. It describes an immigration system with “unsafe prisons,” “neglect and abuse,” and characterizes deportation as a “violent act,” indicating a failure to meet this target.

• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

  The researchers explicitly frame immigration enforcement as a form of violence. They state, “deportation is a violent act” and call for an end to immigrants being “targeted with violent arrest, deportation or removal,” directly linking the issue to the reduction of violence.

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.

  This target is relevant because the article points out that the climate of fear created by enforcement policies prevents the “reporting of domestic violence.” This undermines efforts to protect women and girls from violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

• Healthcare Utilization Rates

  The article implies this indicator by stating that fear of deportation leads people to “avoid medical appointments, vaccinations.” A measurable indicator would therefore be the rate at which immigrant communities access preventative and essential healthcare services. A decrease in these rates would signal a negative impact, while an increase could suggest progress towards Target 3.8.

• Mental and Physical Health Outcomes

  The article explicitly mentions “stress, anxiety,” “worsen[ing] heart disease, maternal health and mental illness.” Progress could be measured by tracking the prevalence of these specific conditions within immigrant communities. Lower prevalence rates would indicate improved well-being, aligning with Target 3.4.

• Public Safety Reporting Rates

  The article suggests that fear prevents immigrants from “reporting crimes” and “domestic violence.” An indicator of community trust and safety would be the rate at which crimes, particularly sensitive ones like domestic violence, are reported by immigrant populations. An increase in reporting could signify reduced fear and greater trust in institutions, relevant to Targets 16.1 and 5.2.

• Public Investment Ratios

  The article contrasts the ballooning enforcement budgets (“from $4 billion in 2000 to more than $25 billion in 2020”) with the need for “investing in communities by adequately funding education, health care, infrastructure, and research.” A relevant indicator would be the ratio of government spending on immigration enforcement versus spending on community health and social services. A shift in this ratio towards community investment would measure progress.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: news-medical.net