SAN ANTONIO – With immigration policy changes and deportations happening daily, some people could now be living in fear and experts said they can include children.
“Over the last two administrations, there’s been a lot of movement reorganizing and restructuring of different agencies, which collectively makes it very unpredictable, more so than it has been before,” said Dr. Damir Utrzan, Chief Compliance and Strategic Development Officer of Horowitz Health in Minneapolis.
For almost ten years, Dr. Utrzan, has been studying how immigration and policy changes can affect mental health. In case studies, Dr. Utrzan said he’s seen children develop mental health and behavioral issues when they’re anxious about their family’s immigration status.
“Behavioral issues that we see in kids could range from really more, you know, like fidgeting, being unable to sit still, not being able to sleep or appetite, all the way to behavioral outbursts, like yelling, screaming, arguing, fighting,” said Dr. Utrzan.
In San Antonio, Clarity Child Guidance Center is the only nonprofit mental health treatment facility for children. Since the year started, staff members told us they have identified immigration concerns as a stressor for some of the kids they work with.
“We have encountered some of that. I think there’s some particular challenges in terms of access to services,” said Jessica Knudsen, President of Clarity Child Guidance Center.
Knudsen said families and kids are especially worried whether they will continue to receive the same care and help, if they are undocumented.
Since San Antonio is close to the Mexico border, the city could have a bigger emphasis on immigration policies, and Knudsen said even children who do not have immigrant parents can become overwhelmed.
“Even maybe kids that don’t have immigration status issues could develop some fears related to it if they’re getting too much information, so I think we just have to be responsible in how we’re communicating,” said Knudsen.
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