Undocumented immigrants arriving in the United States as minors navigate tremendous constraints as they transition into adolescence and adulthood. Exclusionary immigration laws profoundly shape and complicate the attainment of important milestones and the decisions undocumented minors make about their adult futures. A significant body of research,…

Beginning in 2014, increasing numbers of unaccompanied immigrant children (UIC) arrived and were apprehended at the United States-Mexico border. These children were fleeing violence, poverty, environmental disasters, as well as state-sanctioned violence and political instability influenced by interventions and support from the U.S. government…

This article examines Diane Paragas' film Yellow Rose (2019) for its capacity to offer important insights into the reparative utility of music for a child separated from a parent due to deportation. While the film depicts the brutality of contemporary U.S. migration policies, Yellow Rose is also a story about the role of aesthetic expression in…

In the field of education and health care, researchers and educators attempt to close the diagnosis/identification and service gaps that persist for low-resourced, underrepresented families with children with autism. One group of families particularly difficult to engage in research and interventions is undocumented immigrant families. We know…

Interior immigration enforcement continues to have a significant impact on children in mixed-status families. Numerous studies have demonstrated the association between the detention and deportation of parents-- including the threat of these actions--and negative outcomes for children and their families. These include developmental concerns,…

Although many immigrant children to the United States arrive with their parents, a notable proportion are first separated and later reunited with their parents. How do the experiences of separation and reunification shape the well-being of immigrant children? Data were from a national survey of legal adult immigrants and their families, the New…

In recent years, families with children from the Northern Triangle countries of Central America constitute a large and growing proportion of migrants and overall filed asylum claims. In an effort to deter overall immigration through the U.S.-Mexico border, the executive branch under the Trump administration has made substantial changes to federal…

In its 2019 report, "Beyond the Border: Family Separation in the Trump Era," UnidosUS demonstrates how the current trajectory of the nation's immigration policies is threatening the future of an entire generation of American children. This issue brief on Illinois is part of a series that builds on this analysis by exploring the stakes at…

The focus of this brief is on the education of unaccompanied immigrant children arriving from Central America and Mexico, fleeing violence and poverty in their countries. Upon arrival, these children encounter a complicated immigration legal system, while having to navigate a new society within an anti-immigrant sociopolitical context. In recent…

In response to growing concerns about the impact of harsh immigration enforcement policy since the 2016 presidential campaign, we examined its overall impact on the nation's schools, using survey data completed by over 3,600 educators across the country. Our study results show that immigration enforcement is affecting all students--both those from…

Indiscriminate enforcement and worksite raids, a revival of anti-immigrant activity at the state level, and the undermining of our legal immigration system are all putting nearly 6 million U.S. citizen children at risk of separation from their families. And many of these children are Latino. Beyond the "Border: Family Separation in the Trump…

Immigration into the United States is a particularly salient topic of current contemporary educational, social, and political discussions. The school-related needs of immigrant children and youth can be well served by rigorous research and effective school psychology preservice training and preparation. This overview highlights key definitions,…

Utilizing a Latina/o Critical Theory framework (LatCrit), I examine the narratives that emerged within national newsprint media coverage of DREAMers and Central American unaccompanied children. Data included 268 newspaper articles published during periods of heightened national media attention about DREAMers (96 articles) and Central American…

Under Federal law, State and local educational agencies (hereinafter "districts") are required to provide all children with equal access to public education at the elementary and secondary level. Thie Dear Colleague letter was written to remind school districts of the Federal obligation to provide equal educational opportunities to all…

Documents the prevalence of mixed immigration status families, discussing immigration and citizenship policies that drive their formation. Population data show that nearly 1 in 10 families with children is of mixed citizenship status, and 75 percent of children in immigrant families are citizens. Identifies challenges that mixed status families…