COVID on Campus: Assessing the Impact of the Pandemic on Undocumented College Students

Abstract

This article examines the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on undocumented college students. Deploying an ecological framework, we situate students’ experiences within their families, communities, and educational institutions. We draw on qualitative and quantitative survey responses from 1,067 undocumented students attending California 4-year universities. Qualitative findings show that immigration status exacerbated the negative economic effects of the pandemic, leading to severe financial strains that had cascading negative effects on undocumented students’ academics and health. Regression analyses confirm the strong association between students’ preexisting economic insecurity and negative effects of the pandemic. Legal vulnerability and family strains moderated this relationship, but campus environment had little effect.

The Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on PK–12 Students: A Systematic Review of Emerging Literature

“…The pandemic has had a disproportionately negative impact on students of color and students living in poverty (Naff et al, 2020), including higher hospitalization rates and exposure to COVID-19-related environmental stressors (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Additionally, undocumented students may experience particular stress during the pandemic because of its impact on their financial security (Enriquez et al, 2021). Only approximately 20% of low-income youth received the mental health support they needed in the year following Hurricane Katrina (Madrid et al, 2008), further emphasizing the need to prioritize this during and after the pandemic.…”

An exploratory study on perceived online learning experience of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The level of student engagement varied according to the level of education and other sociodemographic characteristics [40]. According to Barrot et al [49], the pandemic exposed the iniquities within the education system, risk of drop-outs [50] adversely affected undocumented students who could not access regular education due to socioeconomic issues [51]. Transformation of education would be effective only when the education system and the stakeholders synchronize with the realization of student needs [52].…”

Immigrant students’ mental health and intent to persist in college: The role of undocufriendly campus climate.

“…In addition to general stressors associated with being a college student, undocu/DACAmented college students report constant fear and feeling ostracized due to their immigration status (Gonzales et al, 2013). The psychological literature suggests that these negative life experiences worsen the mental health of undocu/DACAmented college students, including increases in anxiety distress (Cadenas & Nienhusser, 2021; Enriquez, Chavarria, et al, 2021; Suárez-Orozco & López Hernández, 2020; Suárez-Orozco, Teranishi, & Suárez-Orozco, 2015) and feelings of depression (Cadenas & Nienhusser, 2021; Enriquez, Rosales, et al, 2021; Suárez-Orozco & López Hernández, 2020). For example, Suárez-Orozco and López Hernández (2020) found that rates of self-reported anxiety between undocumented women college students were four times and undocumented men college students were seven times higher that of the norm population as measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener–7 (GAD-7) in the moderate and severe ranges.…”