“If I call the police, are they going to ask for my status?” A narrative analysis of Latin American immigrants’ experiences of victimization

Abstract

Immigrants’ involvement in crime has been extensively assessed, yet far less attention has been given to their experiences as victims. This study centers on the voices of immigrants to examine their experiences with victimization. Drawing from a larger multimethod study, we analyze qualitative narrative responses from 56 Latin American immigrants. Of the participants interviewed (63% women, age range 18–68), 29 had permanent or temporary resident status, and 27 were undocumented (average 20.4 years in the United States). Our results identified four themes: experiences with violent victimization, gender-based violence, labor exploitation, and escalated police interactions. Our findings reveal that many participants did not initially recognize their experiences as victimization, instead normalizing exposure to violence, exploitation, and institutional harm. Gender-based violence was prevalent, with survivors often silenced by threats of deportation and limited knowledge of legal protections. Labor exploitation emerged as a routine form of abuse, compounded by legal precarity and fear of retaliation. Notably, police interactions were frequently described as traumatic, further eroding trust in formal systems. These results highlight the urgent need for trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and immigration-sensitive services that address both the direct and structural forms of victimization undocumented immigrants face. Implications for policy, community practice, and future research are discussed.