TY - JOUR
T1 - “Esto no se lo deseo a nadie”
T2 - the Impact of Immigration Detention on Latina/o Immigrants
AU - Becerra, David
AU - Lechuga-Peña, Stephanie
AU - Castillo, Jason
AU - González, Raquel Perez
AU - Ciriello, Nicole
AU - Cervantes, Fabiola
AU - Porchas, Francisca
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies in the USA have increased in recent decades. Immigration detention has more than tripled since the 1990s, and recently there has been an increase in women and children being held in immigration detention. The length of detention and treatment immigrant detainees face often violate international human rights laws. In this study, we use Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to examine the impact of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants. A focus group was conducted in Arizona after the implementation of several anti-immigrant bills, including SB1070, as well as the increase of anti-immigrant rhetoric prior to the 2016 US presidential election. The focus group was conducted in Spanish with 11 adult Latina/o immigrants (females = 7, males = 4). After completing a thematic analysis of the transcribed data, four major themes emerged: (1) abuse of power by ICE officials, Border Patrol, detention center officers, and medical personnel; (2) mistreatment, including humiliation, discrimination, and dehumanization; (3) trauma; and (4) finding strength through their religiosity and children, despite being held in immigration detention. These findings, along with a review of the relevant literature, highlight the harmful impacts of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants, and suggest the need for immigration reform.
AB - Anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies in the USA have increased in recent decades. Immigration detention has more than tripled since the 1990s, and recently there has been an increase in women and children being held in immigration detention. The length of detention and treatment immigrant detainees face often violate international human rights laws. In this study, we use Latina/o Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) to examine the impact of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants. A focus group was conducted in Arizona after the implementation of several anti-immigrant bills, including SB1070, as well as the increase of anti-immigrant rhetoric prior to the 2016 US presidential election. The focus group was conducted in Spanish with 11 adult Latina/o immigrants (females = 7, males = 4). After completing a thematic analysis of the transcribed data, four major themes emerged: (1) abuse of power by ICE officials, Border Patrol, detention center officers, and medical personnel; (2) mistreatment, including humiliation, discrimination, and dehumanization; (3) trauma; and (4) finding strength through their religiosity and children, despite being held in immigration detention. These findings, along with a review of the relevant literature, highlight the harmful impacts of immigration detention on Latina/o immigrants, and suggest the need for immigration reform.
KW - Immigration
KW - Immigration detention
KW - Latinos
KW - Latinx
KW - Trauma
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U2 - 10.1007/s41134-022-00210-7
DO - 10.1007/s41134-022-00210-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85127711640
SN - 2365-1792
VL - 7
SP - 361
EP - 372
JO - Journal of Human Rights and Social Work
JF - Journal of Human Rights and Social Work
IS - 4
ER -