Immigrants' Enforcement Experiences and Concern about Accessing Public Benefits or Services

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Immigration Policy

Background:

• Exclusionary immigration policies can increase fear of deportation and public benefit avoidance.
• The link between immigration enforcement and public charge policies remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between immigrants' encounters with law enforcement and their concerns about public charge policies.
• To examine how these concerns influence public benefit utilization among Asian and Latinx immigrants.

Main Methods:

• A California population-based survey of 1103 Asian and Latinx immigrants was conducted in 2018.
• Data collected included direct law enforcement encounters and public charge concerns.
• Statistical analyses were used to test the relationship between these variables.

Main Results:

• Direct encounters with law enforcement were significantly associated with increased public charge concerns and avoidance of public benefits.
• Latinx immigrants reported higher levels of public charge concerns compared to Asian immigrants.
• Experiences such as being asked for proof of citizenship and knowing deported individuals heightened these concerns.

Conclusions:

• Immigration enforcement policies and public charge rules intersect, impacting immigrant communities' access to essential services.
• Targeted outreach and accurate information dissemination are crucial for immigrant populations.
• Advocacy for inclusive immigration policies is necessary to mitigate negative health and social outcomes.