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Immigration Enforcement and Infant Health

Author

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  • Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina

    (University of California, Merced)

  • Churchill, Brandyn F.

    (Vanderbilt University)

  • Song, Yang

    (Colgate University)

Abstract

The past two decades have been characterized by an unprecedented increase in interior immigration enforcement and heightened stress due to fears of family separation and loss of income among undocumented immigrants. Using vital statistics on infant births from the National Center of Health Statistics for the 2003 through 2016 period and a difference-in-differences design, we compare the health outcomes of infants with likely undocumented mothers before and after the intensification of immigration enforcement within U.S. counties. We find that intensified enforcement, especially during the third trimester, increases the likelihood of low birth weight (

Suggested Citation

  • Amuedo-Dorantes, Catalina & Churchill, Brandyn F. & Song, Yang, 2020. "Immigration Enforcement and Infant Health," IZA Discussion Papers 13908, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp13908
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hoa Vu, 2024. "I wish I were born in another time: Unintended consequences of immigration enforcement on birth outcomes," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 345-362, February.
    2. Timilsina, Laxman, 2023. "Immigration policy shocks and infant health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    3. Brandyn Churchill, 2021. "E‐Verify mandates and unauthorized immigrants' health insurance coverage," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 88(2), pages 487-526, October.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    undocumented immigrants; immigration enforcement; infant health;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • K37 - Law and Economics - - Other Substantive Areas of Law - - - Immigration Law

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