Burden of the Secret: A Study of Undocumented Families in Texas

Background. Roughly 6 million undocumented families have children. For undocumented immigrant parents, life in the U.S. is met with considerable challenges. However, little research has examined undocumented parents’ perceptions of their children’s experiences. . The goal of the current study was to: (a) identify ways parents perceive legal status impacts their children; (b) describe how parents communicate with their children about their documentation status.

Methods. Using a mixed-methods design, 70 semi-structured qualitative interviews and surveys were collected from participants in two Texas cities. Participants were over age 18, undocumented, and had at least one child under 18 years old. Interviews included questions regarding the impact of legal status on the child’s well being from parents’ perspective. Thematic analysis results describe children’s experiences with undocumented parents and how parents discussed their status with their children.  Data-driven, content analysis yielded the frequencies presented.

Results. Parents described that their documentation status posed a heavy burden for their children. Because they understood the threat of deportation, parents reported children experienced intense fear of separation from them and anxiety over what would happen to them if left alone, saying, “What will become of me if you are deported?”.  Parents related that children felt compelled to protect them from deportation. For example, children felt pressured to remain invisible by behaving perfectly and begged their parents to do the same. According to one father, his daughter pled with him saying, “Daddy, I want to ask you for a gift on my birthday […]. I want you to behave yourself, so the police doesn’t take you. […] because then I will not be able to see you.” Additionally, 51% (n=26) of parents reported that their children offered to legally fix their papers. Children also paid the price of documentation status by having their opportunities cut short. Parents reported that children yearned to meet their grandparents living in their home countries; however, they were blocked by parental travel limits. Parents also described disheartening lack of educational and work opportunities here.  As one mother recalled her daughter lamenting, “It doesn’t pay to study here […] I won’t be accepted in any workplace.” Although 73% (n=51) of the sample had discussed their documentation status with their children, some parents (27%, n =19) did not discuss the threat of deportation with their children.  They feared that this secret was too heavy to bear. One mother explained, “My daughter is not ready for the responsibility this knowledge brings.”  

Implications. Parents fear that their lack of documentation incites fear and anxiety in their children, with some children experiencing pressure to be perfect (invisible) or fix their parents’ papers. While immigrant families with children represent a significant proportion of the U.S. population, these families are legally marginalized, making it difficult to fully understand the impact of legal status on the wellbeing of children on these families.