Friend,
The results are in! Earlier this year, we partnered with Latinx Immigrant Health Alliance (LIHA) and surveyed undocumented youth and adults to understand how our community’s health and wellbeing was impacted by the pandemic and major political events this year.
I’m excited to share with you today the official results of our survey and break down what we learned. We found that our community reported they had higher stress about their immigration status than about the pandemic. While this is surprising, it's not unexpected, as nearly 30% of respondents reported that a loved one has been deported or is currently facing deportation proceedings.
Every day that undocumented communities remain vulnerable to the grips of ICE and CBP, is another day where their mental health suffers as a result. I invite you to head over to our website, where you can be the first to learn more about what we've found and how you can take action.
TAKE ACTION
The reality is that because of deliberate decisions by politicians and an oppressive immigration system built to detain and deport, millions of undocumented people and families live under high levels of stress, depression and anxiety. We must go beyond addressing these symptoms and instead tackle their root causes - lack of access to health insurance, the uncertainty around DACA, and the fear of deportation and family separation.
Our report should be a wake up call to all members of Congress that their undocumented constituents need and deserve a pathway to citizenship now! Citizenship would mean permanent relief for those whose mental health and lives remain under severe risk.
Check our website to learn more about what we found and how you can take action now!
Jenny and the rest of the UWD Team