Navigating Parenthood without Documentation: An Exploratory Study of Deportation Planning Among Undocumented Latino Parents

Background. There are approximately 6 million undocumented parents in the United States.  One study suggests that 5.5 million children are currently in foster care due to their parents’ detention and/or deportation.   However, little research has examined the experience of undocumented parents in terms of how they plan for and discuss the threat of deportation with their children. The goal of the current study was to examine the experiences of Latino undocumented parents as they navigate parenthood with the threat of deportation present in their lives.

Methods. Using a mixed-methods design, 40 semi-structured interviews and surveys were collected from participants in two Texas cities. Participants were recruited from social service agencies that had established relationships with the researchers. Participants were included if they were over age 18, reported being undocumented, and had at least one child under 18 years old. Qualitative interviews comprised four sections: migration experience, life as an undocumented immigrant, parenting children in the context of deportation risk, and the emotional impact of legal status on the parent and child’s mental health. Interviews were conducted, transcribed and coded in Spanish. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data and descriptive statistics were produced using the survey data. 

Results. Participants were mostly female (n=34, 85%) and from Mexico (n=39, 97.5%). The average household size was 5 and the average number of children was 3. 78% of the participants lived continuously in the U.S. since their initial migration. Major themes that emerged related to immigration status include reluctance to plan, fear of separation and vague plans for children if the parent was deported.  The majority of parents reported that they were reluctant to plan for what would happen to their children if they were deported.  The reluctance was based on the anxiety that if they had a plan, they would almost be willing deportation to happen.  They were also reluctant to plan because they did not want to scare their children.  The fear of separation was a theme expressed by all parents.  Families had already endured trauma related to their migration and separation from extended family.  The potential of being separated from their children was a haunting prospect.  Finally, some parents had planned for deportation, but their plans were usually vague.  For instance, they did not have custody arrangements in place for their children, but assumed that family or friends would care for their children.  Parents with younger children tended to want their children to return to their home country with them.  Parents with older children generally expressed a desire to stay in America.

Implications. Parents who live constantly with the threat of deportation experience great fear that they will be separated from their children.  The fear almost immobilizes them from planning for their children should they be deported.  Social workers working with immigrant families need to facilitate deportation planning with families from a trauma informed approach in order to ensure that children are diverted from entering the foster care system.