The trauma of immigration raids

More children are at risk for the emotional trauma of losing a parent, as federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement increasingly sweep up large numbers of undocumented workers at work and home, said Lydia Buki, PhD, speaking at APA’s Annual Convention on Saturday.

Just a few years ago, only 176 people were picked up in workplace raids. In 2006, that number increased to 3,667, Buki said.

At the same session, Amaro Laria, PhD, talked about his work with the families of 361 employees, mostly women, who were picked up during a 2007 raid in New Bedford, Mass. Many of the women were mothers with young children, some of them breast-feeding. The children were left with fathers who often lost their jobs as they scrambled to care for their kids.

“These raids caused the demoralization of an entire community,” Laria said.

In the wake of the raids, Laria and fellow volunteers from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology saw cases of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, disruptions to family care, domestic violence and substance abuse.

Psychologists can help children and families cope with trauma by participating in relief work, collaborating with community groups, running support programs and convincing Congress to ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement considers humanitarian concerns when it detains undocumented workers, Laria said.