Immigration enforcement drives health concerns in CT

[Excerpt from news article by Sasha Allen and Katy Golvala, 1/27/26]

For months, Patricia hasn’t slept through the night. She’s stopped visiting friends, she no longer goes to the gym or the park, and she’s gained 60 pounds since immigration enforcement ramped up in the past year.

Patricia moved to the U.S. from Mexico 18 years ago and built a life as an active member of her community in Connecticut. But today, the only time she leaves her house is to work for a few hours each weekend, cleaning offices.

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Across Connecticut, residents who fear they or a loved one may be deported are self-isolating and facing mounting mental and physical health consequences as a result.

A survey from DataHaven released in October found nearly a third of Connecticut residents worry “a lot” or “some” that either they or someone close to them could be deported, detained or have their legal immigration status revoked. That concern is significantly higher among Latino residents, 44% of whom reported such fears.   

Anxiety surrounding potential immigration enforcement measures is leading some people to skip medical appointments, lose sleep and opt out of social activities — all of which, physicians say, damages mental and physical health. 

Researchers at DataHaven found that, of the Connecticut residents who fear immigration enforcement, 14% have avoided medical care or know someone who has.

Camila Bortolleto is a steering committee member for HUSKY for Immigrants, a group that advocates to expand state-sponsored health coverage for residents regardless of immigration status. She said many immigrants are fearful that ICE will show up at their doctor’s appointment, or that they will get in trouble if they seek health care. 

“We’re seeing a lot of folks who are very scared to seek medical care,” Bortolleto said. “They ‘tough it out’ until it gets so bad that they need urgent medical care. At that point, it’s much, much worse, health-wise. It’s also much more expensive by that point.”

Research finds this is a general trend influenced by immigration enforcement increases or policy change. Atheendar Venkataramani, a clinician, researcher and professor at the University of Pennsylvania, contributed to a study in 2021 that found that increased immigration enforcement correlated with a reduction in Hispanic individuals seeking health care. 

“On average, what we found was that there was less health care seeking, even among people with chronic conditions who we would expect to see their doctor relatively frequently,” Venkataramani said. “Ours is one study, but there are tons of studies that link immigration enforcement with health care seeking and health care outcomes.”

[….]

The DataHaven survey found that more than half of Connecticut residents who fear immigration enforcement report increased stress or anxiety. And of residents fearing enforcement, around 20% report avoiding public settings, like school and work, or reported problems eating and sleeping.

Venkataramani agreed with Shader, saying that mental health is likely the aspect of health that “shifts most exquisitely” with immigration policy and enforcement changes. He’s seen these changes first-hand in his own patients who are immigrants. 

“They’ll screen positive for depression and anxiety. They will come in with elevated heart rate, possibly elevated blood pressure,” Venkataramani said. “They’re very circumspect to share what’s going on.” 

Plus, increased stress can have dramatic physical effects on the body, impacting cortisol levels, metabolism and heart health, he added. One 2018 study found that immigration policy targeting undocumented residents in Arizona led to lower birth weight in babies born to immigrant mothers.