A new report from the University of California, Riverside finds that immigration enforcement operations across the country are taking a mental and emotional toll on children who are themselves immigrants, or those living in mixed-status households.
The report, published in Psychiatric News, was authored by mental health professionals in the UCR School of Medicine. They argue that the worksite raids and arrests during federal immigration enforcement operations are causing a public health emergency for millions of kids.
Researchers go on to suggest that being separated from a caregiver can elevate the risk of suicidal thoughts and alcohol use in adolescents. They say it can also cause anxiety attacks and changes in behavior, sleep and appetite. In young children, abrupt caregiver loss has been linked to sleep and appetite disturbances, emotional dysregulation and developmental regression, the study says…