S-Comm Immigration Initiative Is Bad for Our Health – Karen Hacker, Jennifer Kasper, and Juliana Morris

Karen Hacker,^1,2 Jennifer Kasper,^1,3 and Juliana Morris^1
1Harvard Medical School, ²Institute for Community Health, ³Massachusetts General Hospital

After much deliberation, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick decided this month not to sign the Secure Communities (S-Comm) program, following the lead of New York, Illinois, and other states. While this is a significant step in protecting immigrants’ rights, health care providers need to be vigilant. It is important to understand the potential negative health implications of this program, which could affect all communities in Massachusetts and across the United States.

News Round-Up In Brief

US News

• Economic, demographic and social changes in Mexico are suppressing immigration as much as the poor economy or crackdowns in the United States. Acoording to a recent article by the New York Times, migration has “sputtered to a trickle,” based on a mix of developments, including expanding economic and educational opportunities, rising border crime and shrinking families.

• Major health problems are linked to poverty in the more than 2,300 colonias (unincorporated subdivisions) in border states.