A major study from Texas A&M found that most Americans oppose detaining sick, undocumented immigrants at interior border checkpoints—but support detention after medical treatment.
Researchers surveyed over 6,100 people, making this the first study to examine public views on whether these checkpoints act as barriers to healthcare access.
Hard border
Interior border checkpoints are located 25 to 100 miles inside the U.S. border. Their purpose is to verify citizenship or legal status. There are 110 permanent checkpoints and about 170 temporary ones, processing more than 50 million vehicles each year.
“Legal status—along with racism, language skills, housing, and transportation—affects health outcomes,” the researchers explain. “These factors drive systemic health disparities that lower quality of life and life expectancy.”
Immigration enforcement at these checkpoints may widen these health gaps by discouraging immigrants from seeking medical care. Fear of deportation and past trauma with enforcement often erode trust in healthcare institutions.
Tough choices
“Undocumented individuals in the border zone often face a tough choice: get medical help and risk deportation or avoid care altogether,” the authors say. “This problem is growing as the U.S. expands interior immigration enforcement, investing millions to add more checkpoints.”
The study surveyed 6,178 U.S. residents between November 13 and 19, 2023, to gauge public opinion on whether these checkpoints hinder healthcare access and whether undocumented immigrants should receive medical care.
“Our results show broad support for policies allowing undocumented individuals to pass through checkpoints for medical care,” the authors explain. “However, most respondents still favored detention after treatment.”
Growing sympathy
The study also found that people were generally more sympathetic toward children and pregnant women. Political views and attitudes toward immigrants shaped opinions on when and where detention should occur, whether in emergencies or routine cases.
“These findings align with research showing Americans are becoming more pro-immigrant,” the researchers conclude. “However, the results are complex. While respondents supported medical access, most still backed detention at some stage, which could ultimately discourage undocumented immigrants from seeking care.”
