Issues In Immigration Policy

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Throughout the decades following the last immigrant reform of 1986, the countless immigration policies of the United States have become victims of heightened strong modification in order to prevent the migration and equal rights of residents and citizens to any immigrant individual in this country. Nonetheless, this has not put a hold on the constant migration of individuals seeking a better life for themselves or their families. As a result, one can conclude that undocumented individuals will undoubtedly enter a country that is in no means lenient with their immigration policies. Furthermore, Latino undocumented immigrants, consequently will suffer from high rates of mental health issues all throughout this, so called successful country, which …show more content…
For instance, as a result of the 1982 U.S. Supreme Court case of Plyer v. Doe, public universities are legally open for undocumented students (Perez et al., 2010:36). Nonetheless, these immigration policies do not allow undocumented Latino students’ access to in-state tuition rates nor federal student aid. All across the United States, undocumented immigrants that are willing to pursue higher education can stumble upon, not only a challenge, but a mental health stressor. The ability to attend college for United States’ residents or citizens is completely different for an individual that lacks proper legal documentation, such as a social security number. For instance, undocumented Latino immigrants have to put aside their dreams of pursuing higher education due to their legal status, which ultimately leads to the challenge of experiencing feelings of anguish and disappointment, which are leading causes of mental health issues (Perez et al., 2010:37). A further example can serve to further strengthen the notion that immigration policies do in fact cause mental health issues. Consider Jacinto, a Latino undocumented student that expresses a sense of “humiliation and helplessness”, which ultimately has negative effects to Jacinto’s mental health (Perez et al., 2010:39). Similarly, undocumented students hold a burden that is related to their inability to attend colleges or universities. For example, Adrian, an undocumented high school student that learned he was ineligible to attend college during his high school career, blamed himself, rather than these immigration policies that do not allow him to attend college (Abrego 2006:220). It is true, however, that people might argue that undocumented students have been privileged because of DACA, however, individuals do not consider the mental health issues that