Consequences of deferred action for childhood arrivals for parent health: Applying a social foreground perspective

Objective

This study applies a social foreground perspective to assess whether the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program impacted the self-rated health of coresident parents of DACA-eligible individuals.

Background

DACA status grants a temporary work permit and allows for a stay of deportation for undocumented persons who entered the United States as children. Although research points to the positive health benefits of DACA for its recipients, less is known about whether the program affects the health of family members, including parents.

Method

This study uses data from the National Health Interview Study (2008–2015) on foreign-born adults and their coresident parents. We applied a difference-in-differences design to examine whether the self-rated health of coresident mothers and fathers changed following the passage of DACA for DACA-eligible individuals.

Results

In contrast to expectations, DACA was associated with worse self-rated health among coresident, partnered parents. These results may be because DACA also decreased the likelihood of coresiding with parents and changed the composition of coresident parents themselves. Following DACA, fewer eligible offspring lived with parents overall, but among those that did, parents tended to be older and less healthy.

Conclusion

Findings underscore how DACA may be used as a resource to support older parents experiencing health challenges, in particular among older undocumented immigrants, who make up a growing share of the undocumented population in the United States.