AZ Central

By: Stephanie Innes and Rafael Carranza

As more cases of new coronavirus are identified in Arizona, immigrant families in the state may be afraid to get medical help if they need it.

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Fifty-four percent of Latino children in the U.S. live in what’s called a “mixed-status” home that includes people with different immigration and citizenship statuses, said Kelly Whitener, an associate research professor at the Georgetown Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. While 95% of Latino children living in this country are U.S. citizens, their family’s status and fear about the public charge rule could affect the health of those children, she said. “Seeing the change in posture on immigration generally and on public charge specifically — out of just an abundance of caution and fear, they are holding back on participation in public programs, worried that if they don’t that it could risk the status of somebody else,” she said.

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