Pediatricians raise the alarm on the effect of Trump's immigration crackdown on kids
A survey by the American Academy of Pediatrics reveals that immigrant families are increasingly avoiding medical care and public services due to fears of immigration enforcement. Pediatricians warn that this trend is negatively impacting children's health and access to essential support systems.
Why it matters
This highlights the public health consequences of immigration policy and the barriers created by fear within marginalized communities.
Nicole Xu for NPR MARYLAND — On a hot summer day earlier this year, a mother left a troubling voice message on this reporter's WhatsApp. "My child woke up this morning feeling like he was suffocating. I am worried," she said in Spanish. The boy had a history of asthma, she added.
The woman asked to be referred to by her first initial, M, because although her son is a U.S. citizen, she and her husband are undocumented. In response to being told she should seek professional medical help, M said she had been debating whether to take him to the local clinic, worried that she could be detained by immigration enforcement.
It's a troubling pattern that has emerged in immigrant communities: staying away from medical care due to fear.
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