Immigration policies and mental health: examining the relationship between immigration enforcement and depression, anxiety, and stress among Latino immigrants

Using a legal violence framework, this paper examines the relationship between current immigration policies and the mental health of Latino immigrants in Arizona. Data were drawn from a sample of adult Latino immigrants (n = 427) living in Arizona. Results indicated that participants who reported a greater personal suffering as a consequence of current immigration policies reported significantly higher symptoms of 1) depression, 2) anxiety, and 3) stress. In addition, participants who reported greater family suffering as a consequence of current immigration policies reported significantly higher symptoms of: 1) anxiety and 2) stress.