U.S. Deportation Policies Are Being Reframed as a Major National Health Crisis
Researchers from several leading U.S. universities are raising an urgent red flag: current immigration enforcement and deportation policies are creating widespread physical, mental, and community-level harm. Their newly published work argues that the country is dealing with far more than just a legal or political issue—it is facing a national public health crisis with long-term consequences.
This perspective appears in two academic briefs released on November 6, 2025, in the journal Health Affairs, supported by an editorial published earlier in August. Professors from five major research institutions, including the University of California, Merced, contributed to these analyses. Together, they outline years of evidence showing how harsh immigration enforcement—raids, detentions, and deportations—directly disrupts the health and well-being of immigrant and non-immigrant communities alike.
Deportation as a Direct Threat to Public Health
The researchers make one clear point: deportation is not just a legal action—it is a violent disruption of health at individual and community levels. They highlight the realities inside detention facilities, where tens of thousands of people are held in unsafe and unhealthy environments, often facing neglect and abuse. Such conditions contribute to poor physical health, untreated medical conditions, trauma, and long-lasting psychological harm.
Outside detention facilities, the consequences ripple outward. Families left behind lose income, caregivers, and emotional support. The instability leads to elevated stress, anxiety, and economic strain, which in turn contributes to deteriorating community health. These are not isolated household-level effects—they spread across neighborhoods and entire regions.
The researchers argue that U.S. policies over the past three decades have shifted immigration from a civil process into a heavily criminalized system. Since the 1990s, federal immigration actions have steadily expanded detention, increased deportations, and restricted immigrants’ access to public support programs. The numbers illustrate this shift: immigration enforcement budgets rose from $4 billion in 2000 to more than $25 billion in 2020, with an additional $170 billion approved for 2025 alone.
How Fear Shapes Health Behaviors
Another major issue highlighted in the briefs is the pervasive climate of fear. The fear of deportation affects everyday choices related to health, safety, and basic well-being. People—whether undocumented or living in mixed-status families—often avoid essential health care services. This includes medical appointments, vaccinations, mental health support, and even the reporting of domestic violence or other crimes.
This fear-driven avoidance results in worsening chronic conditions, delayed treatment for serious illnesses, reduced maternal health outcomes, and declining mental health. Communities with high enforcement activity frequently experience lower trust in hospitals and clinics, making it harder for providers to deliver effective care.
The researchers emphasize that this widespread avoidance is not irrational; it is a survival response to unpredictable immigration raids, detention risks, and the possibility of family separation.
Community Care as a Health Intervention
One of the most interesting concepts introduced in the research is “community care”. This refers to networks that mobilize emotional, legal, and material support during immigration enforcement actions. Examples include:
- Rapid response hotlines
- Legal accompaniment programs
- Community-funded immigrant bond support
- Advocacy and solidarity groups
The researchers describe these community-based systems as legitimate public health interventions, because they buffer against fear, offer protection, and build collective resilience. These networks turn anxiety into organized action, which ultimately helps stabilize community health.
Proven Policy-Level Solutions That Improve Health
The briefs also highlight several interventions with strong evidence of improving health outcomes, even while enforcement policies continue:
Limiting Local Cooperation With Federal Immigration Agencies
Cities and counties that reduce collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) see less fear and better community well-being. These policies encourage more people to seek health care, report crimes, and participate in public life.
Expanding Access to Driver’s Licenses and Photo IDs
When immigrants—regardless of legal status—have access to identification, they face fewer police encounters and experience significantly less stress. This directly improves both mental and physical health outcomes.
Strengthening Privacy Protections in Health Care
Hospitals and clinics play a crucial role. By minimizing the collection of immigration data, ensuring confidentiality, and partnering with legal aid organizations, health institutions can rebuild trust with immigrant patients.
These policy steps, the researchers argue, have measurable impacts—reducing avoidable health complications and improving community stability.
A Call to Action for Health Professionals
A strong message in the research is the responsibility of health care professionals. The authors explain that people working in medicine and public health have long used their voices to advocate for policy change. They argue that this is a moment requiring similar leadership.
The briefs urge health professionals to push for:
- Divesting from deportation and enforcement violence
- Investing in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and research
- Building systems that protect—not endanger—immigrants and their families
The researchers frame this as part of a broader commitment to population health and well-being.
Context: The Bigger Picture of Immigration and Health
To provide readers with additional perspective, it’s useful to understand how immigration enforcement intersects with broader public health principles.
Immigration Status as a Social Determinant of Health
Public health experts increasingly recognize that factors such as income, housing stability, and social support shape health far more than clinical care alone. Immigration status falls squarely into this category. When people fear deportation, they are less likely to seek preventive care, which leads to avoidable medical problems and higher healthcare costs.
Mental Health Strain Across Generations
Children in immigrant households—many of whom are U.S. citizens—often experience chronic stress due to the threat of separation. This can influence school performance, emotional development, and long-term health. Studies show that communities with heavy enforcement activity see higher levels of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
Economic Costs of Enforcement-Driven Health Decline
When people avoid affordable preventive care, they often end up needing emergency services later, which strains hospitals and taxpayer-funded systems. Chronic stress contributes to hypertension, heart disease, and other long-term conditions that carry significant economic costs.
Understanding these broader impacts helps reinforce why researchers describe deportation as a public health threat, not just a political dispute.
Moving Toward Healthier Communities
The ongoing conversation about immigration enforcement is often framed around legality, borders, or economic impact. What this new research does differently is place the spotlight on health—the health of individuals, families, and entire communities.
The evidence is clear: fear, detention, and deportation create widespread harm. But the research also shows that many protective actions—both policy-level and community-driven—are already working. Strengthening these approaches, and shifting resources toward community supports instead of enforcement, could significantly improve public health across the nation.
As debates about immigration continue, this public health perspective adds a crucial dimension. Healthy communities require trust, safety, and access to care—conditions that current enforcement practices often undermine. By recognizing deportation as a health crisis, policymakers and health professionals have an opportunity to build a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive society.
Research Paper:
Population Health Costs of Exclusionary and Criminalizing Immigration Policies (Health Affairs, 2025)
https://doi.org/10.1377/hpb20251010.700451
