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.