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Dr. Elizabeth Aranda was featured on WUSF's NPR affiliate radio show "Florida Matters" to discuss the complexities of the immigration system in Florida and its wide-ranging impacts. The episode delved into the nuances of immigration law, community effects, and the experiences of diverse voices within the state. This insightful discussion aired amid heightened attention to immigration during the presidential election campaign and recent natural disasters impacting the region.
October 8, 2024Publications & Products
In contrast to the criminal justice system, immigrants who come before a judge in civil immigration court are not guaranteed the right to legal representation should they be unable to afford it, yet in some cases they face consequences as severe as those applied in criminal cases. In this episode, we discuss whether immigrants facing detention and deportation should have access to the right to counsel by evaluating some of the research on the consequences of lacking legal representation and potential policy solutions.
September 18, 2024Podcast
Dr. Elizabeth Aranda receives 2024 Award for Public Sociology in International Migration
This award recognizes the work of an IM section member who addresses immigration and related issues in ways that apply scholarly knowledge directly in public work, generates such knowledge for public use, or otherwise contributes to improving the lives of migrants or refugees.
August 29, 2024Research
Article discusses the impact of a new slate of immigration laws signed by Governor Ron DeSantis, particularly on undocumented immigrants. Dr. Elizabeth Aranda highlights the findings of a forthcoming survey conducted by the IWRC, which reveal how these policies have exacerbated family separation and increased psychological distress within immigrant communities. The center鈥檚 research reveals the far-reaching consequences of these policies, as many families struggle with heightened emotional and economic pressures.
August 29, 2024Policy Analysis
Florida鈥檚 SB 1718, a law that criminalized many aspects of life as an immigrant, passed in the Florida legislature and was signed into law in 2023. One year later, how have immigrants responded to this law, and what are the effects and implications for the state of Florida? In this episode, we will discuss SB 1718鈥檚 effects on immigrants鈥� lives and in their communities.
August 14, 2024Podcast
Publication in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, August, 1鈥�18. Casta帽eda, Heide, and Amine Bit. 2024. This article examines the experiences of Amazigh immigrants (plural: Imazighen) and how they negotiate ethnoracial hierarchies in the United States. Imazighen are Indigenous peoples from North Africa; upon arrival to the U.S., they are confronted with ethnoracial categories into which they don鈥檛 fit neatly, particularly due to their Indigenous status.
August 11, 2024Publications & Products
Opponents of immigration often link immigration to crime, and rhetoric in the media has casted immigrants as criminals, leading some public officials to propose greater immigration control as a mechanism to reduce crime. This episode examines the relationship between immigration and crime to debunk the many myths circulating in the media about immigrants to the U.S.
May 29, 2024Podcast
IWRC was quoted in article that discusses the concept of "normalized expendability," a term coined in a study led by Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, which explores how immigrant communities were excluded from pandemic relief despite their critical role as frontline workers. This exclusion has had lasting effects on their social and economic well-being. The article highlights the ongoing mental health challenges and stress faced by immigrant families, particularly those affected by policies like DACA and recent immigration legislation in Florida.
May 24, 2024Policy Analysis
Dr. Elizabeth Aranda was interviewed and quoted in Spectrum News. In the interview, she discusses the unprecedented wave of Cuban immigration to Florida, noting that while many Cubans migrate by land through new routes like Nicaragua, sea crossings still occur. She highlights that Tampa has become the second-largest hub for Cuban migrants in Florida, after South Florida. Dr. Aranda provids expert insight into the political and economic factors driving this migration, including Cuba鈥檚 enduring dictatorship and policy changes that have facilitated migration to the U.S.
April 27, 2024Policy Analysis
Mental Health: The Silent Crisis Among Immigrants in the United States
In this blog post, Liz Ventura, MPH, CPH, Research Associate at the Center, delves into the mental health challenges faced by immigrants, exacerbated by structural barriers, including restrictive immigration policies and socio-economic inequities. Drawing from her personal experiences and academic research, she highlights the underutilization of mental health services within immigrant communities and the need for culturally sensitive care and policy reforms to address these disparities. The blog advocates for a holistic approach to mental health that integrates community support and empathetic public health strategies.
April 15, 2024Publications & Products
In recent decades security at the US Southern border has increased to stop the arrivals of immigrants and refugees. This episode examines how border security, specifically the presence of the border wall in Arizona communities and Customs and Border Patrol鈥檚 practice of screening residents at border checkpoints, affects the Latino/a/x population of young adults in the region. We will discuss racial profiling practices, how they impact human rights, and how they erode residents鈥欌�攊ncluding US citizens鈥欌�攕ense of belonging to the nation.
March 25, 2024Podcast
Publication in American Behavioral Scientist. Aranda, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Vaquera, Heide Casta帽eda, and Melanie Escue. 2024. This study uses longitudinal qualitative data to explore how undocumented immigrants in Florida navigated the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal how legal violence, compounded vulnerability, and exclusion from pandemic aid disproportionately affected immigrants working on the frontlines. The research demonstrates how policies normalizing unequal treatment led to heightened risks for these communities, exacerbating their economic and social marginalization.
February 6, 2024Publications & Products