detention, and deportation, these policies stratify and segregate racialized populations,
hindering their integration into mainstream institutions and social life (Elizabeth
Aranda, 2015, p. 100). In particular, she notes that while professing to be colourblind,
these policies disproportionately target Latino and Black immigrants in the United
States, resulting in racial effects such as higher arrest rates, imprisonment, and
deportation (p. 95). In cases of deportation, the separation may lead to mental health
difficulties, especially among children left behind, and have catastrophic implications
for families. Although some Latino immigrants may benefit temporarily from
situational White privilege by being regarded as White, collective statistics on
detentions, removals, and deportations shows that Latinos continue to be
disproportionately affected by these acts (p. 97). This highlights how immigration
policy and race are intertwined, which leads to systematic racism.
Furthermore, she argues that immigration enforcement has a considerable impact on
the mental well-being of young adults (p. 99). Being undocumented has far-reaching
effects on their mental development and life opportunities, resulting in a sense of
detachment and a lack of belonging. One of the “costs of racism” that maintains
inequality is the emotional toll. Immigration policies defined primarily in terms of
legality ignore the underlying dynamics driving migration and contribute to racial
inequities by treating immigrants as lawbreakers without considering more significant
social and economic considerations. The resulting isolation and marginalization have
devastating effects on education, work, relationships, and self-esteem (p. 100). These
policies create an environment of uncertainty, powerlessness, and distress, further
exacerbating the existing racial disparities.
Why immigration policies serve as methods of racial exclusion can be understood in
light of Guess’s discussion on how the social organization of American race relations
is shaped by structural concepts such as racism, White-skin privilege, and asymmetry
(Guess, 2006, p. 671). She asserts that racial conventions and routines have reinforced
social distance and geographical isolation between Black and White people, creating
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