More than 3.5 million immigrants live in Los Angeles County, and of those, over 800,000 are undocumented, according to recent estimates. So after the re-election of Donald Trump, who promised the largest deportation effort in American history , many people and families are dealing with questions about what could happen next — and wrestling with the toll that is taking on their mental health.
Experts warn of possible negative health consequences from the ongoing stress. And some worry that people will not look for mental health care when they need it for fear of deportation, particularly those among the tens of thousands of DACA recipients in the region who are uncertain of what a Trump administration will mean for their immigration status. Community organizers say there are resources available that could help people deal with those anxieties and fears including a directory of mental health professionals who work with the undocumented community.
“I think the stress level is definitely going to be a lot higher," said Dr. Imelda Padilla-Frausto, a research scientist at UCLA. "And because this has been such an ongoing issue, it’s a chronic stress.
” Victor Guillén Febres, a program strategist with United We Dream, a youth-led non-profit for immigrants, said many conversations swirling on social media falsely paint immigrants as violent criminals, and those conversations are making people who are undocumented or on temporary protected status anxious. “Mostly because we .
