During the past two decades, U.S. immigration policies have been tightened resulting in increased deportations of unauthorized persons residing in the United States. This qualitative phenomenological study is theoretically grounded in family systems theory. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Latinx youth (n = 8) and their remaining caregivers, specifically mothers (n = 8) who had recently experienced the deportation of the child’s father. Findings from the analysis revealed that following the deportation of a parent, families (a) modified family structures and relied upon extended familial support, (b) experienced familial tensions, (c) experienced financial difficulties and housing instability, and (d) retreated from social life, including drastically shrinking social networks. Implications for practice include developing culturally based, trauma-informed interventions for Latinx families affected by deportation.

This systematic review addresses the gap in the literature regarding sibling relationship quality among Latinx families, a topic that has not been comprehensively examined to date. This study aimed to synthesize current research on sibling relationship quality in Latinx families, focusing on the influence of cultural factors, identifying key variables associated with sibling relationship quality, and evaluating the methodological approaches used. This paper is a systematic review based on a recently published evidence and gap map (EGM) that identified and visually presented all published studies investigating sibling relationship quality. Additional inclusion criteria were applied to select articles that specifically examined sibling relationship quality in the United States samples with at least 50% Latinx participants. The review included 12 articles representing 6 distinct studies, revealing significant findings on the roles of familism, simpatía, and gender in shaping sibling dynamics. Results indicated that cultural values such as familism and simpatía positively influence sibling intimacy and warmth, while gender dynamics further moderate these relationships. Methodologically, the articles employed longitudinal and cross-sectional designs, utilizing various quantitative measures. The findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in studying sibling relationships and highlight the need for further research to explore these dynamics in diverse Latinx subgroups.

This qualitative study explored how service providers perceived the stressors that Latinx immigrants experienced due to COVID-19 and the restrictive immigration enforcement climate in the U.S. The study also examined how social service providers responded to immigrant families’ social service needs in light of the impediments imposed by the pandemic. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted via telephone and Zoom with social service providers. (n = 28) who provided direct services to immigrant clients in Los Angeles, CA. Colaizzi’s ( 1978 Colaizzi, P. F. (1978). Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In R. S. Valle & M King (Eds.), Existential phenomenological alternatives for psychology (pp. 48–71). Plenum. [Google Scholar] ) phenomenological method was utilized as a data analysis guide. Findings showed that Latinx immigrants experienced: (a) high rates of economic stressors and negative mental health outcomes due to the pandemic; (b) immigration-related distress and barriers seeking services; (c) shifting social service needs; and (d) relied on spiritual practices and mutual aid. Culturally responsive practice and policy implications are included. Future research recommendations include addressing the importance of enhancing relationships with immigrant-based centers and faith-based agencies to assist practitioners in serving more immigrant families to restore their physical, mental, and emotional well-being and prevent child welfare systems involvement. Policy recommendations are provided to encourage effective, culturally responsive innovations and adaptations to improve service provision and policy changes to best optimize the health of immigrant communities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had notable impacts on public child welfare systems and their ability to serve families. For immigrant families who enter the child welfare system, pandemic-related challenges were exacerbated on top of existing immigration-related stressors and barriers. This study used in-depth qualitative interviewing with child welfare agency staff and community-based service provider partners working with immigrants to explore their experiences in providing services to families navigating this unprecedented context. Results highlight the adaptations implemented to engage immigrant clients and facilitate interagency collaboration in light of barriers imposed by the pandemic. Practice implications center the need for child abuse and neglection prevention efforts to start in community and demand collaboration between government-based child welfare agencies and a range of grassroots, trusted community providers.