Health Considerations of the Migrant Buses and Planes

Beier Nelson

https://doi.org/10.56927/148627

Abstract

The transport of migrants from the U.S-Mexico border to sanctuary cities in the north spearheaded by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron Desantis have sparked the latest controversy in the debate surrounding immigration. This paper examines the health consequences these migrants face when they are transported in such a manner. Because these events are recent, there is limited research on these specific groups of migrants, but there has been research in the past analyzing how the roles of support systems, strong cross-border ties, and stigma towards immigration affect the well-being of migrants. Furthermore, this paper begins a discussion of the potential adverse health effects these migrants may face, ranging from reluctance of seeking care in an unfamiliar place for fears of deportation as well as potential mental health effects of being separated from a familiar community. These political maneuvers are inconsiderate to the health of migrants, and there will hopefully be future efforts to protect the health of this population.

Article

On September 14th, 2022, two charter planes from San Antonio, Texas landed at Martha Vineyard’s Airport; their passengers, fifty undocumented immigrants from Venezuela ¹. Around the same time, two buses also from Texas arrived at Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence at the U.S Naval Observatory in Washington D.C, where over a hundred migrants from various Latin American countries disembarked ². The late summer months of 2022 was characterized by events like these, where migrants who recently arrived at the U.S-Mexico border were coerced into buses and planes and sent to sanctuary cities on the East Coast in the latest round of political catfights surrounding President Biden’s immigration policies.

These efforts to transport migrants away from border states are spearheaded by Texas’ Governor Greg Abbott and Florida’s Governor Ron Desantis, both concerned about the ongoing influx of undocumented immigrants arriving at the U.S-Mexico border. Abbott and Desantis view the displacement of migrants as twofold: 1) it reduces the number of “illegal immigrants” to provide relief to “overwhelmed border communities,” and 2) it sends a message to the Biden Administration to enact harsher immigration policies ². However, what Abbott, Desantis, and many other supporters refuse to consider are the detrimental health impacts of these political maneuvers on the individuals affected as well as the communities they live in. Addressing immigration concerns does not have to put the health of current undocumented immigrants in danger.

Currently, migrants in the U.S encounter barriers in health affordability as undocumented immigrants are not eligible for health insurance through the Marketplace (individual health insurance plans) nor are they eligible for Medicare or Medicaid ³. Furthermore, many migrants are reluctant to seek care in fear of “detection by immigration officials,” leading to migrants less likely to “have a regular source of care,” “seek preventative sources,” and “have access to specialty care” ⁴. Thus, migrants are limited to health treatment at low-cost community clinics, and the absence of an insurance plan makes it near impossible to cover the expensive costs of procedures and medications.

Thus, when Governors Abbott and Desantis enacted their plans to transport migrants from border communities to sanctuary cities in the North, they increased the strain of the already stretched-thin safety net the migrants clung onto. In Dr. Luz Garcini’s paper, “Protective Factors to the Wellbeing of Undocumented Latinx Immigrants in the United States: A Socio-Ecological Approach,” Garcini, a professor of psychology at Rice University, argues that the health of migrants are heavily dependent on the communities they reside in, writing that “community coherence or residence in areas where there are trusting networks or relationships that share similar values and norms” was a substantial factor in “protecting the wellbeing of undocumented immigrants.” ⁵ Furthermore, Garcini interviewed migrants about the emotional support a community holds, and one immigrant claimed that “having a sense of community carries a sense of hope” and “it helps us to feel not alone.” ⁵ These communities are also bolstered by connections to the countries of origin for many migrants, and “cross-border ties and strong family relationships can relieve some of the social isolation experienced by undocumented immigrants.” ⁴ Thus, displacing the migrants from communities they have been or looking to be established in isolates them, both physically and mentally. The fifty Venezuelan migrants dropped off in Martha’s Vineyard or the migrants sent to New York have no access to the extensive community support system—close friends, English-teaching programs, legal services, Latinx-focused health clinics, etc—they once relied on. Mentally, this can lead to anxiety and depression, and physically this can lead to an exacerbation of ongoing health issues as the migrants now have to navigate a health system in a foreign area.

A counter-argument to the issue of displacing migrants to northern sanctuary cities resides in the hope that cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago will have more robust infrastructure to support the migrants’ health needs than the “overwhelmed border communities” in Texas and Florida. ² Furthermore, Governor Abbott was quoted about Chicago’s mayor Lori Lightfoot’s policy of “welcom[ing] all regardless of legal status” in his decision to send a busload of migrants to Chicago’s Union Station, claiming that “I look forward to seeing this responsibility in action as these migrants receive resources from a sanctuary city with the capacity to serve them.” ⁶ Claims like this one may sound benevolent in nature: the border towns are not able to support the migrants, so transporting them to cities that have more resources to support the health and well-being of these migrants is a win-win for all. However, especially after the Martha’s Vineyard incident, it is clear that Abbott and DeSantis have no charitable interests surrounding the health of migrants. As soon as the northbound buses crossed the Texas and Florida state lines, Abbott and Desantis could have cared less about what would happen to them. Perhaps, if there were concrete procedures on Florida’s and Texas’ end to connect these migrants with health and social services after they arrive in the sanctuary cities, then the policy to transport migrants would be more justifiable. In the long-run, the migrant-friendly sanctuary cities in the north may be a more favorable place for the migrants, but the disruption from their close-knit communities and their familiar social, legal, and health support networks is likely to serve as another traumatizing journey—this time not from their countries of origin to the U.S, but within the U.S itself.

Although there is limited research and policy initiatives on the matter because it is so recent, there could be a few policy proposals to support the health of these migrants. One solution could be for the federal or state government to invest in community health centers in border communities, improving access and scope of care and providing native language speakers. Although it seems unlikely that ultra conservative-led states like Florida and Texas would enact these measures, it will be a more effective use of state funds than the current situation; Abbott spent $12 million on taxpayer dollars to transport migrants away from Texas border communities while Desantis spent $615,000 on sending the migrants to Martha’s vineyard. ^{7 8} Rather than spending taxpayer money on political stunts, these funds can be used to improve the health and well-being of border communities, stabilizing these communities in the process. If government officials are concerned about the potential influx of migrants to the U.S border due to these health incentives, they could also use the funds to secure the border; in the end, addressing immigration issues and protecting the health of migrants already in the U.S should not be mutually exclusive. Transporting migrants from border towns to sanctuary cities has many implicit health detriments for the migrants involved. From a likely increase in the rate of depression and anxiety due to being separated from the supportive border-town migrant community to a decreased chance of seeking medical care at an unfamiliar health center for fear of deportation, entire communities of displaced migrants will struggle in the next few weeks and months to navigate their new environments. Health is all encompassing; there is so much more to an individual’s health than just the absence of disease. Access to healthcare, education, social services, food security, and living in a supportive environment are all factors—and these have all been disrupted as the migrants are forced from one location to another. Politics is another subject, but from a health perspective, it’s time that we put an end to this policy, or at least shift it in a way that considers the migrants’ humanity.

About the Author

Beier Nelson is a student at Harvard College and an associate editor of the Harvard Health Policy Review.

References

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