For many years now the United Kingdom has operated a “hostile environment” policy against immigrants that aims to make things so difficult that people will be put off attempting the journey. While other countries have perhaps not been as overt as the UK has been, similar approaches have been deployed around the world.
New research from Duke University highlights just how damaging they can be. The researchers examine the impact of harsh immigration law enforcement in terms of prenatal care for immigrant mothers in the United States.
Cracking down
The researchers explored the impact of the federal 287(g) immigration program that was introduced in North Carolina in 2006. The program allowed local law enforcement officers to act as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and to question people about their immigration status, and even to begin deportation proceedings.
Commonly in such “hostile environments”, immigrants tend to shy away from engaging with local authorities for fear of triggering such hostile acts. This was found in the research, with the birth weight of children born to immigrant mothers falling by an average of 58.54 grams.
The mothers would also use prenatal care less frequently, meaning they didn’t see a healthcare provider in the first trimester, or missed half of their recommended prenatal appointments.
“There are economic costs to adverse birth outcomes, both for children involved and to society,” the researchers say. “The recent uptick in ICE activities under the Trump administration may have long-lasting, harmful effects on U.S.-born citizens.”
Under the radar
While the research didn’t explicitly explore why immigrant women were using prenatal care less frequently, other analyses have identified fear as a major factor in engaging with any kind of official body, as immigrants, even those legally residing somewhere, worry that authorities can make their lives difficult if they put themselves on the radar.
“If going to the doctor means you might run into ICE, maybe you don’t go,” the researchers explain. “It wasn’t the intention of the policy, but pregnant women not getting adequate prenatal care is worrying.”
The impact of the legislative change was compared with participation, and the benefits of participation, in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
“The adverse effects of the 287(g) program essentially counteracted the beneficial effects of participating in SNAP or WIC,” the researchers conclude. “Exposure to policies during pregnancy can either be harmful or hurtful. These ICE policies appear to be harmful.”
