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Effects of Parents’ Deportation on Children

Mary Garcia

SOC 6910 Public Sociology Capstone Instructor: Sidra Montgomery

March 23, 2020

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Effects of Parents’ Deportation on Children

Deportation is a traumatizing event for individuals going through the same. People move from their countries of origin as they flee from wars due to political calamities and even natural tragedies such as drought and floods. They end up settling in the host countries where they hope to start their lives anew, to create a life for themselves and their family. There are credible reasons necessitating deportation among them criminal acts, violation of visa terms, and when a person becomes a liability to the government of the host country. Nevertheless, small mistakes may be a reason for deportation. The exercise is troubling as it results in the separation of the family members, with the children being at the suffering end. In most situations, children are unable to express their pain and disappointments, and they only react when they interact with their peers and schoolmates. With the deportation of parents, children in some cases accompany their parents, while in others, they remain in the host country. Most children born to immigrant parents are legal citizens of the host countries. However, whether they decide to remain or move with their parents, children feel the effects of deportation.

A change in policies on immigration is rapidly increasing the number of deportation cases. Dreby (2015) outlines the change in immigration that has resulted in the separation of families and children suffering in the process. According to the author, the1990s marked the beginning of the changes in the immigration system in the United States with the changes entailing the tightening of the system. As a result, some families considered temporary separation, while others opted to live in divided borders. By the 21st century, the immigration system took a serious angle where there was a division of families even residing in the United States. Dreby (2015) highlighted the changes in immigration as destabilizing families and ongoing conversations on immigration reforms. Earlier, immigration debates included the right parties eliminating the influence from specific quarters such as unions, politicians, and business owners. However, the influence on the immigration debates by partisan politics hindered the actualization of immigration reforms and implementation of measures such as the DREAM Act that would offer permanent residence to the undocumented youths who had gone through the education system in the United States. If these youths have children, they suffer when their parents are deported due to the failure by the relevant authorities to implement immigration measures.

When parents become part of the migration process, the children inevitably become part of the process. Despite where they are born, García (2012) highlighted that the children have a similar experience as those families who were from a different country while living in another. In their new host countries, the author highlighted the immigrant parents as struggling with new patterns of behaviors, beliefs, and morality that they have to get assimilated to. Some of these changes may be contradicting their earlier held moral orientation. In the host countries, parents give birth and train children in line with the attitudes and beliefs of the host country. Difficulties stem where parents facing deportation have to go back to their countries.

In such situations, García (2012) stated that children have to struggle with the creation of continuity and to become competent. On their part, parents may not know the struggles of their children. The other highlighted other struggles of children whose parents have been deported where they receive contradicting information on issues such as racism. García (2012) outlined the psychological challenges faced by children whose parents have faced deportation. The cultural values of the new settlement differ from what they are used to. As such, such difficulties result in acculturative stress among these children affecting their behaviors, how they relate with their schoolmates, and even their academic performance. The experience of parents, especially mothers during deportation, also impact on the children.

Oliviera (2018) highlighted that women make up 40% of all the Mexican migrants in New York City alone. Also, women are the heads of 22% of Mexican immigrant families. As such, lots of families and children alike suffer when their Mexican parents are deported. Women are known for nurturing and being pillars for family members and children. They play a pivotal role in families and society at large. As such, the absence of women may result in most families becoming dysfunctional. While other family members might be able to cater to their needs in such circumstances, the children are left at the mercy of the society and community organizations such as the foster homes. The adaptation period for these children may result in behavioral and psychological challenges.

Political campaigns culminate with anti-immigration rhetoric, where each leader strives to show his or her prowess by making promises on changing the immigration situation. According to Morey (2018), the anti-immigration declarations result in health disparities, especially among the migrant population. The migrants face stigmatization from other community members that they used to seamlessly interact with before the political campaigns. The discrimination and isolation that the migrants experience following heated political campaigns could result in stress. The situation escalates when there are incidences of deportation and detainment of some of the immigrants. Going back to their host countries, immigrants face high stigmatization levels. When being deported, victims barely salvage properties or wealth they had amassed in their host countries. As such, arrival in their home countries is characterized by criticism and judgment, especially when they have nothing to their name. The case is worse when the children have to listen to the demeaning comments that people make about their parents and their situation. During deportation, parents make prompt decisions, not knowing that whether good or bad, they significantly impact on their children.

Amuedo-dorantes, Pozo, & Puttitanum (2015) voiced that most parents opt to leave their children behind following their deportation. They hope that after everything settles down, they may go back to their countries and reunite with their children and family members. While some children remain with relatives or even friends, others are left under foster care. In most cases, deported individuals migrate back to the same country they were deported from some years later. The period of separation between a parent and a child could be a life-changing moment for them. While some children may be in the care of understanding individuals, others may suffer due to being mistreated by these people who start viewing them as a burden. Amuedo-dorantes, Pozo, & Puttitanum (2015) highlighted that the involuntary separation increases anxiety, stress, depression, and fear among the involved children and adults. For the children, they may encounter social isolation and even develop hatred and mistrust towards the government that approved the deportation order. Such traits are some of the reasons behind the development of criminal gangs seeking to revenge against the injustice they experienced in their childhood. With an experience of deportation, many people, especially children, desire to disassociate with their identity.

Doering-White, Horner, Sanders, Martinez, and Lopez (2016) stated that the U.S. citizen children of immigrants experience tension and greater consequences. For these children, the fear of illegality drives them into hating their identity, while also making efforts to distance them from their identity. In picking up a new identity, these children may end up picking behaviors contradicting their morality, increasing their susceptibility to being on the wrong side of the law. Deportation also means disorientation of social reproduction. Among immigrants, each member of the family plays a pivotal role in ensuring the continuity of their cultural values and traditions. The case is worse were due to their minority status; these communities have to remain closely-knit. Social reproduction is more important among the minority groups as they determine their cohesiveness alongside the continuity of the community and generation at large. While trying to fulfill their responsibilities as immigrant parents, they face lots of challenges that interfere with their parental roles.

On the occasion children tag along with their deported parents, they face a lot of difficulties adopting the norms, values, and languages of the host country. In addition, they are confronted with religious and political views that are different from what they were used to. McKenna (2011) highlighted the case of Alyssa and Paul, who were children born to migrant parents. Having being born in the United States, they had developed a fluent command of the English language and could neither speak nor hear the language from their parents’ country of origin. With their heavy American accent, these children are bound to face lots of challenges adapting to the new country. McKenna (2011) added that the difference in ideologies between the United States and the new country that Alyssa and Paul are to live in. Due to the anti-American sentiments held by the other country about the United States, these children could be stigmatized by their immediate community. Different religious orientations also mean that these children could feel out of place. Despite desiring the best for their children, moving with their children could not be the best option for Alyssa’s parents.

In conclusion, the deportation of parents has undesired effects on children and their well-being. Parents are an important pillar in the lives of their children, and their absence disorients their lives. The parents are also important figures in the lives of other individuals, and with their deportation, the results are a dysfunctional family, disruption of the community interrelations, and social reproduction. Despite the valid reasons, the government in charge of deportation should look at the potential effects of the process and make a decision that would be considered to the person and parties associated with him or her.

References

Amuedo-dorantes, C., Pozo, S., & Puttitanum, T. (2015). Immigration enforcement, parent-child separations, and intent to remigrate by Central American deportees. Demography, 52(6), 1825-1851. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-015-0431-0

Doering-White, J., Horner, P., Sanders, L., Martinez, R., & Lopez W. (2016). Testimonial Engagement: Undocumented Latina Mothers Navigating a Gendered Deportation Regime. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 17(2), 352-340. https://doi/10.1007/s12134-014-0408-7

Dreby, J. (2015). Everyday illegal: When policies undermine immigrant families. Oakland, California: University of California Press

García, C. C. T. (2012). The impact of immigration on children's development. Karger Medical and Scientific Publishers

McKenna, K. (2011). A global perspective of children's rights: Advocating for U.S.-citizen minors after parental deportation through federal subagency creation. Family Law Quarterly, 45(3), 397-417

Morey, B. N. (2018). Mechanisms by which anti-immigrant stigma exacerbates racial/ethnic health disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 108(4), 40-463. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304266

Oliveira, G. (2018). Motherhood across borders: Immigrants and their children in Mexico and New York. NYU Press