The latest on im/migrant well-being
As 2025 comes to a close, we want to say a big thank you to all of our scholar affiliates, community partners, and readers for continuing to produce, share, and translate important empirical research on im/migrant well-being.
This year has been difficult, but we are so inspired by those who have continued to work tirelessly in support of im/migrant well-being. We are especially grateful to those who did so by supporting The Collaborative’s initiatives, such as our second biennial conference, “Im/migrant Well-Being: A Nexus for Policy and Research” this past February.
Moving into the new year, we want to turn challenges into opportunities to engage. Be on the lookout for training workshops launching in early 2026 that aims to support scholars doing research on immigrant well-being. We have been hard at work editing a special issue of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, which will be published in the new year.
We will also continue our various series, such as ¡Hablemos!, #WellBeingWednesdays, and IWB Stories of the Week. Check out our latest publication: “¡Hablemos! With Dr. Ernesto Castañeda.” If you would like to have your work highlighted in these outlets, reach out to us at admin@iwbcollab.org.
As we all know and was affirmed by the Migration Policy Institute in the October 2025 piece, “Why Migration Researchers Often Struggle to Impact Policy,” academia can be siloed and researchers even working in the same field can be fragmented around the country. The survey findings urge us to continue investing in support for immigration researchers, building bridges, and strengthening the pipeline for using empirical evidence to inform policy opportunities. This is precisely the mission of The Collaborative, and we are so grateful that you continue to be in community with us in pursuing this goal.
Wishing you and your loved ones a restorative holiday season and a happy new year!
– The Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative Steering Committee: Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Dr. Elizabeth Vaquera, and Trey Johnston
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New Publications by Scholar Affiliates
Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center –”IWRC Releases New Report on Immigrant Experiences with Intensified Enforcement in Florida,” December 1, 2025
The Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center at the University of South Florida launched a new report on immigrant experiences with intensified immigration enforcement in Florida in 2025. Some of the key findings from the report’s 53 semi-structured interviews with immigrants and US-born adult children of immigrants include: work has become more precarious; housing and settlement choices are shaped by enforcement; and fear and surveillance permeate daily life.
The Hill – “The State Department is lying about El Salvador” by Mneesha Gellman, August 23, 2025
In this op-ed, Scholar Affiliate Dr. Mneesha Gellman raises concerns about the State Department’s human rights report on El Salvador. Concluding the commentary, she argues, “For people in El Salvador subject to abuse, and those who come to the U.S. seeking refuge, an accurate portrayal of the truth is vital to justice and the rule of law. Human rights are jeopardized when American policy is not honest.”
Scholarship and Practice of Undergraduate Research – “Online Student Engagement in Social Science Research Laboratories: Expert Advice on the Opportunities and Challenges” by Alissa Ruth et al., Summer 2025
In this study that employs an expert panel of 22 experienced lab leaders, Scholar Affiliate Dr. Emir Estrada shares insights on meeting the challenges of mentoring online students in social science labs.
Annals of the American Association of Geographers – “Manufacturing desolation: undocumented border crosser mortality and the sociopolitical construction of remoteness in United States boundary enforcement” by Geoffrey Alan Boyce, et al., June 26, 2025
Inthis new article, Scholar Affiliate Dr. Daniel E. Martínez and his co-authors examine how the remoteness and desolation of geographies across the US-Mexico borderlands are selectively managed and reproduced such that unauthorized border crossers are more likely to be exposed to danger and death.
Im/migrant Lives Podcast
On the most recent episode of the Im/migrant Lives podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Dr. Altaf Saadi, and Sui Chung discuss how immigration detention impacts immigrants’ lives. Tune in to the full episode here: https://rss.com/podcasts/immigrant-lives/2136050/ and stay tuned for Season 3, beginning in January 2026.
Awards and Kudos
Arizona State University – “ASU sociology professor wins distinguished research award,” October 2, 2025
Scholar Affiliate Dr. Nilda Flores-González received the Dr. Eugene Garcia Faculty Research Award from the Pete C. Garcia Victoria Foundation.
Immigrant Well-Being Research Center – “Center Director Elected 2025 – 2026 Chair of ASA International Migration Section,” August 1, 2025
Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Collaborative Dr. Elizabeth Aranda was elected chair of the International Migration Section of the American Sociological Association. “Being elected Chair is a testament to the power of public sociology and translating your research for a broader audience. At a time when immigration policy is so front and center and, on the hearts and minds of so many, one of our main goals is to ensure empirical research led by underrepresented scholars receives the attention it deserves,” said Dr. Aranda.
UC Irvine School of Social Sciences – “Chernyak and Martinez-Aranda named as recipients of Dean’s Awards for Outstanding Research,” May 14, 2025
Scholar Affiliate Dr. Mirian Martinez-Aranda received the 2025 UC Irvine School of Social Sciences Dean’s Awards for Outstanding Research.
IWB Scholar Affiliates in the News
AULA Blog – “Latino Sense of Belonging Decreases amid Racial Profiling, Detention, and a Fading American Dream” by Anjini K. Patel, December o, 2025
“Dr. Castañeda underlines: ‘If there’s less migration, it doesn’t mean there will be more jobs for locals. It means there will be less work for everyone, and more people will lose their jobs because the demand for goods and services decreases, businesses cannot hire and grow, and therefore they stop hiring and start firing workers.’”
WUSF, NPR – “Report sheds light on the lives of Florida immigrants under Trump’s second term” by Nancy Guan, December 8, 2025
“‘Across the board, everyone in the sample talked about insomnia, issues with their appetite — either losing their appetite or eating more — anxiety, depression, fatigue, hair loss, just a range of psychosomatic symptoms,’ Aranda said.”
Radio YSUCA 91.7 FM – “La invisibilidad de los derechos humanos en las cárceles de El Salvador bajo el Estado de Excepción,” August 5, 2025
“La democracia requiere información libre que requiere una prensa libre. Y si la prensa está controlada por el Estado o dominada por el Estado, no hay prensa libre para corregir los hechos malos o incorrectos que está ofreciendo el gobierno al público.”/“Democracy requires free information, which requires a free press. And if the press is controlled by the state or dominated by the state, there is no free press to correct the false or inaccurate information that the government is providing to the public.” – Dr. Mneesha Gellman
The Collaborative on Social Media
The Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative produces, “¡Hablemos!,” which is an interview series that explores the multifaceted nature of immigration studies, advocacy, partnership, and more. Check out one of our latest features in the series with Dr. Blanca A. Ramirez:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7391182291152035840
Request for Feedback and Content
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