This quasi-experimental study investigated whether "sanctuary city" regulations are a useful tool for lowering mental health disparities among Latinx communities in California according to immigration status. There is ample evidence that restrictive immigration policies cause mental health issues in people. Undocumented immigrants, documented immigrants, and native-born Latinxs are the three categories that are the focus of restrictive immigration laws; it is still unknown whether sanctuary city policies can enhance population mental health in these groups. We integrated information from the multi-year California Health Interview Survey on the health of nearly 142,000 adults, 6400 adolescents, and 13,000 children with information on the 482 communities in California regarding whether and when they adopted a sanctuary policy.
Published Date: 2023-05-30; Received Date: 2023-05-01
