The latest on im/migrant well-being
With the end of the academic year and as we celebrate the end of Immigrant Heritage Month, it’s an important time for reflection. Looking back, we can say unequivocally that the past several months have not been easy.
Harsh policy and rhetoric targeting im/migrants have intensified and critical research on im/migrant communities has been severely and suddenly cut or entirely frozen. This has brought immense challenges for the well-being of im/migrant communities and those who work to support them.
Despite these challenges, we’ve pressed on. We hosted our second biennial conference, “IWB 2025: A Nexus For Research & Policy,” in St. Petersburg, Florida. The 16 scholars who presented made a fantastic effort to disseminate their research to an audience of over 100 people.
We’re currently reviewing conference research presentations to transform them into peer-reviewed academic articles that will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. And, we’re supporting scholars who are interested in translating their research to wider audiences.
Despite all the policy threats and funding cuts (more info shared by Dr. Aranda in this article), we remain steadfast in our work because we believe that immigration policymaking cannot happen without sound science that represents the voices and experiences of im/migrants.
In the spirit of continuing and expanding our work, we’ve decided to create this newsletter. Despite recent challenges impacting im/migrant communities, our national scholar network has continued not only to persevere and carry on their vital work but also grow and become even more engaged.
Every semester, we’ll share publications by scholar affiliates, key takeaways from the Im/migrant Lives podcast, and the latest news related to im/migrant well-being.
Thank you for being a part of this community.
– The Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative Steering Committee: Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, and Trey Johnston III
New Publications by Scholar Affiliates
NYU Press – Everyday Activists: Undocumented Immigrants’ Quest for Justice and Well-Being by Christina M. Getrich, April 22, 2025
In Everyday Activists, Dr. Christina M. Getrich portrays the political engagement strategies that DACA recipients enact in their daily lives to make a meaningful impact in their communities.
Social Science Space – Migrant Deaths Along the US-Mexico Border: Causes, Counts, and What the Future May Hold by Donald Kerwin and Daniel E. Martinez, March 26, 2025
In this op-ed, Scholar Affiliate Dr. Daniel E. Martinez and Donald Kerwin caution that migrant deaths will likely increase along the border due to the continued and increased use of “Prevention Through Deterrence” tactics.
The Conversation – Beatings, overcrowding and food deprivation: US deportees face distressing human rights conditions in El Salvador’s mega-prison by Mneesha Gellman and Sarah C. Bishop, March 17, 2025
Scholar Affiliate Dr. Mneesha Gellman and Sarah C. Bishop raise concerns about the irreparable harm of deporting people to prisons in El Salvador. “There are serious concerns over both the process and the legality of transferring U.S. prisoners to a nation that has not protected the human rights of its detained population”, they say.
The Conversation – Survey shows immigrants in Florida – even US citizens – are less likely to seek health care after passage of anti-immigrant laws by Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, Emely Matos Pichardo, and Liz Ventura, March 12, 2025
A survey of 466 immigrants in Florida, conducted between May and July of 2024, found that nearly 2/3 of non-U.S. citizens and 1/3 of U.S. citizens hesitated to seek medical care in the year following the passage of Senate Bill 1718. Based on this research, the authors argue that policymakers should remove legal and policy restrictions that are likely to delay medical treatment and worsen health disparities among U.S. communities.
Im/migrant Lives Podcast
On the most recent episode of the Im/migrant Lives podcast, Dr. Aranda, Dr. Leisy J. Abrego, and Paul Namphy discuss how immigrants and asylum seekers are navigating having their legal statuses revoked. Tune in to the full episode here: https://rss.com/podcasts/immigrant-lives/2088636/
Awards and Kudos
American Sociological Association – Julian Samora Distinguished Career Award from the American Sociological Association Latina/o Sociology Section, June 5, 2025
Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Collaborative Dr. Elizabeth Aranda was honored with the 2025 Julian Samora Distinguished Career Award from the American Sociological Association Latina/o Sociology Section, recognizing her profound impact on research, mentorship, and teaching.
American Sociological Association -2025 Award for Public Sociology in International Migration, June 2025
Scholar Affiliate Dr. Daniel E. Martinez and Dr. Cailtin Patler were awarded the International Migration Award for Public Sociology in International Migration by the American Sociological Association.
Law and Society Association – “LSA 2025 Annual Awards Announced” by Crissonna Tennison, May 22, 2025
Scholar Affiliate Dr. Mirian Martinez-Aranda received the 2025 Article Prize from the Law and Society Association for her article in Social Problems, “Precarious Legal Pathworking: Detained Immigrants’ Access to Justice.”
IWB Scholar Affiliates in the News
On Point, WBUR, NPR – “What life is really like in El Salvador under Bukele’s ‘iron fist.’” by Paige Sutherland Meghna Chakrabarti, May 22, 2025
Gellman: “So one of the provisions of the state, under the state of exception is that people who are incarcerated in El Salvador have no contact with family members. So no phone calls, no visits, no letters, which means it’s really impossible for family members on the outside to verify the wellbeing of their loved ones inside.”
Scholars Strategy Network – “Chapter Spotlight: Elizabeth Aranda on Leading Florida SSN and Supporting Immigration Scholars” by Wendy Chow, May 13, 2025
“The conference was really a space to bring together scholars from across the country who are doing cutting-edge research on how immigration policies and practices are affecting immigrant well-being. The goals were really multifaceted.”
ABC 7 News – “I-Team Extra: Are illegal immigration sweeps in DC restaurants new? Experts say no” by Scott Taylor, May 7, 2025
“‘Restaurants are often targets of these because it’s an industry that depends to a large degree on immigrant workers, including sometimes undocumented workers,’ says Ernesto Castañeda, Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University.”
USA Today – “Trump has cracked down on immigration and the border. At what cost?” by Lauren Villagran and Ignacio Calderon, April 29, 2025
Dr. Castañeda discussed the broader social and political costs of increasingly aggressive immigration enforcement. He shared, “There’s a lot of pressure on ICE agents to have quotas now. That’s why they’re going for minors, women and people with no criminal records.”
The Guardian – “US deportees face brutal conditions in El Salvador mega-prison: ‘Severe overcrowding, inadequate food’” by Maanvi Singh, March 20, 2025
“Mneesha Gellman, a political scientist at Emerson College who researches human rights and violence, says the US deportees will face dire conditions and uncertain fates. ‘We don’t know how any of this will play out, because it’s never exactly happened before,’ she said. ‘Because these are Venezuelans being deported to a country most of them have never been.’”
LAist – “Policing ICE: Activists seek out federal agents, warn about immigration raids” by Frank Stoltze, March 17, 2025
“‘It’s a new form in which immigrant communities and their supporters are finding a way to protect each other and to stand up for what’s unfair and cruel,’ [Mirian] Martinez-Aranda told LAist.”
The Collaborative on Social Media
The Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative moved earlier this year from X to Bluesky and LinkedIn. Follow us on Bluesky and LinkedIn, where we will be posting updates moving forward.
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iwbcollab
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Request for Feedback and Content
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