The Threat of Deportation and It’s Effects on hispanic and Latino Immigratns

Feb 13

Written by Irene Eastland, LCMHC

Lack of control. That’s what comes to mind when I think of deportation, and how immigrant families might feel during this time in our world today. Not knowing one minute to the next if your family or friend will be able to stay in the United States, or even if your own citizenship is going to be taken from you with new laws and legislation that some officials are trying to implement at this time. While there’s not a lot of ways to change the entire government of the United States as a whole, there are ways to manage the anxiety, depression, and stress that come from the threat of deportation. In addition, we will explore some ways to seek citizenship in this present time and how to help a family member or friend who might be at risk for deportation.

How the Threat of Deportation Impacts Hispanic and Latino Immigrants

As a counselor, I try my best to step into someone else’s shoes to understand how they are thinking and feeling about something that’s happening. What I’ve found in my search related to the threats of deportation is that individuals, whether they’re US citizens or not, are experiencing anxiety, panic, and even symptoms of depression because of the threat of deportation. A threat can be just as worrisome as the actual act of being deported. This is because the person being threatened or feeling threatened, often feels a lack of control, and this lack of control leads to overthinking, “what if” questions, increase in stress, and feelings of panic about going out in public. It seems that even if someone is not facing deportation, the threat can affect them because of their interconnectedness to their community of people at large. In addition, being able to empathize with those being deported can increase the stress of those who stay in the US. While this threat is on-going, it may be hard to manage the symptoms associated with it, but I think going over a few strategies to reduce anxiety in general might be helpful.

Strategies to Help Lower Anxiety

One thing to try when experiencing anxiety is to focus on things that are in your control. Such as, the way you talk, the way you move your body, how you react, how you interact with others, what you want to think, and more. Try making a list of everything you truly can control, and put a circle around it. Outside of the circle is everything you can’t control. Such as, the world around you, the decisions of governments, how people treat others, how others act in general, and more. This exercise can be difficult at times due to the realization of how much is truly outside of our control, but it’s important to remember these things. When we try to control things outside of our circle of control, it increases anxiety, depression, stress, and other mental health problems. By focusing on what we can control, we can feel less anxious - even when faced with difficult circumstances.

Additionally, you can try writing down your fears, thoughts, and emotions and sharing them with others around you or you can burn them to help release some of the stress inside your body. Along with addressing what is and what isn’t in your control, you can start to feel less anxious about what is going on in the world around you.

Another method to help reduce anxiety is mindfulness and meditation. By engaging in daily mindfulness practices, such as breathing, or just sitting and taking time for yourself, can help reduce anxiety by nearly 30 percent as shown by some research. Engaging in these practices, even with everything going on, can help you feel less anxious and stressed overall. This will give you the opportunity to think clearer, and to be able to make decisions about how to proceed in your daily life.

Finally, another way to reduce anxiety, and stress can be to stick close with family and close friends during this trying time. Having others to depend on and talk with can help you feel less alone and less overwhelmed by the world around you. If you’re not able to talk with many people around you, finding a supportive chat group online, or seeking out support groups in your local area that you can join can be helpful. You’re not alone in this, and there are many people who are concerned about the issues that currently threaten the Hispanic and Latino communities in the United States. Let’s talk about some ways that individuals and families can help each other in this trying time.

Three Things to Help Prevent Deportation

In my search for how to help someone facing deportation, I’ve come across several interesting things that I wanted to share here. One being, immigration lawyers can help individuals who are seeking asylum and citizenship, and they can help you stay in the US with your family. Another thing is that family members who are already US citizens can sponsor other family members to obtain citizenship, and there are no restrictions to the number of people you can sponsor. The only restriction is that you need to have the right amount of income for the number of people you wish to sponsor. If you have several family members needing sponsorship, and you’ve got some supportive friends and other family members to help out, this could be a feasible option for keeping your family together and not allowing them to be deported. Finally, another option I’ve seen is to obtain work Visas, of course these are temporary, but you are able to work for at least 3 years, allowing you the time necessary to figure out any other details you might need to stay in the US. This also prevents deportation at this time. Of course, there’s also the potential you might face racism, and other prejudice when encountering law enforcement, so let’s talk a little on how to deal with these issues.

How to Manage Racism and Prejudice During This Time

It’s no secret that experiencing racism and prejudice can cause mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. But how can someone manage themselves when experiencing racism and prejudice? Are there ways to decrease anxiety, depression, and PTSD from racism and prejudice? In short, yes, there are some strategies. Here are a few:

Engaging in mindfulness (as discussed earlier)
Taking time to enjoy your hobbies
Naming your emotions
Seeking therapy
Speaking out about your experiences
Practice self-care
Making a list of people or places where you’ve experienced racism or prejudice, and come up with several strategies on how to navigate those people and places

By doing what is in your control, you can experience a sense of control in the midst of racism and prejudice. Not to say it prevents or stops it from happening, but again, none of us can control other people. Only ourselves. Which can be infuriating, but also freeing to know that when someone speaks against you in a racist or prejudiced manner - it shows their character, not yours. The inability to control others can be troubling to some, but at the end of the day - if we could control everyone, I don’t think I’d be writing this blog because there would be no deportation, racism, misogyny, or other problems in the world.

Conclusion

The biggest thing to remember here is that you’re not alone. And there’s no reason you have to face the threat of deportation alone. Seeking help from family, friends, a counselor, maybe your pastor, or spiritual leader, can all be avenues to take to help alleviate the anxiety you might be experiencing right now. In addition, allowing yourself to let go of control, and focusing on what you can control can bring you a sense of calm. If you’re able to, sponsoring your family, or seeking legal help can be a means of helping family members stay in the US during this trying time. It’s also crucial to remember that there might be those out there who feel the need to be racist or prejudiced, while we cannot control those people, there are opportunities to speak out, and to stand up for others who might experience racism and prejudice. All in all, you’re not alone in this, and you’re not responsible for what is happening around you in the world. Stay focused on yourself, and your family.

Remember your life is always in bloom, you can decide what flower you become.