Deportation entanglement and US Latino sleep health: A nationally representative multiwave study

Abstract

Objectives

This study uses nationally representative multiwave data to analyze the relationship between the US mass deportation system and the sleep health of Latino/Hispanic adults. Deportation-related concerns can be a unique source of stress and rumination relevant for the sleeping patterns of the US Latino population.

Methods

We analyze two waves of Pew Research Center survey data about Latinos collected in 2019 and 2020 (N = 1591). We fit logistic regression models to investigate whether emotional and tangible entanglements with the deportation system in December 2019 were linked with self-reported sleep troubles among Latinos in March 2020, net of other covariates.

Results

Nearly half of Latinos worry “some” or a “lot” about deportation and nearly half know someone who has been recently deported or detained. A third of Latino adults reported moderate to a lot of trouble sleeping three or more nights per week. The logistic regression results reveal that controlling for a comprehensive set of covariates, Latinos who were “a lot” worried about deportation or who know people who have been deported/detained were significantly more likely to report that they had trouble sleeping.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the US deportation system presents a unique source of stress and rumination that negatively impacts Latino sleep. These findings advance social scientific knowledge and the socio-ecological framework regarding how US policy priorities of deporting and detaining immigrants can potentially alter the sleeping patterns of a large segment of Americans, even among those not directly targeted for removal from the country.