Summary
The study’s framework identifies state-level policies across five different domains — 1) public health and welfare benefits; 2) higher education; 3) labor and employment policies; 4) drivers’ licenses and identification systems; and 5) immigration enforcement. These domains impact the health of immigrants and that vary across states, especially for those without legal status. A scan of these policies shows that immigrants are exposed to different contexts, ranging from relatively inclusive to highly exclusive; a number of states have mixed trends that are more inclusive in some areas, but exclusive in others. Finally, authors examine how the relative inclusiveness of state policies are associated with state-level demographic and political characteristics.
The authors found that contrary to the image that exclusive policies are a reaction to large immigrant populations that may compete for jobs and cultural space, the higher the proportion of foreign-born and Hispanics in the state, the more inclusive the set of policies; while the higher the proportion of Republican voters, the less inclusive.
Publication Authors:
- Steven P. Wallace, PhD
- Maria-Elena De Trinidad Young, PhD, MPH
- Michael Rodriguez, MD, MPH
- Claire Brindis, Dr.P.H.