Undocumented Korean Immigrants: "Stigma/Illegality" and Mental Health

Background/Rationale: Since the onset of the Trump administration, undocumented immigrants have faced intensified stigmatization. Undocumented Korean immigrants, while sharing the deportability and “illegality” as foundational stressors, are often perceived through the "model minority" lens (Chung, 2021), which frequently leads to them being overlooked in mental health interventions. Using a survey supplemented with short text-box entries, this study examines: (1) associations between sociodemographic factors and experiences of "stigma/illegality"; (2) the impact of "stigma/illegality" on mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); and (3) how participants perceive and cope with stigma and "illegality" in their daily lives.

Methods: This study draws on responses from 113 undocumented Korean immigrants, nationwide, collected in collaboration with four organizations serving these communities. "Stigma/illegality" was measured using a modified version of the Stigma and Illegality Measure for Latinxs (SIML; Santos et al., 2021). Mental health outcomes were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4; Kroenke et al., 2009) for anxiety and depression, and the Primary Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Screen for DSM-5 (PC-PTSD-5; Prins et al., 2016) for PTSD. Four open-ended text boxes captured narratives on the impacts of "illegality" and coping strategies. The study utilized multivariate linear regression to examine how sociodemographic factors relate to experiences of stigma and “illegality,” and logistic regression was applied to analyze the impact of these experiences on mental health. Additionally, thematic analysis and consequential coding were employed to explore the impact of stigma and illegality on the daily lives of participants and their coping strategies.

Results: Quantitative analysis showed that no sociodemographic factors were significantly associated with experiences of "stigma/illegality." Experiences of "stigma/illegality"—particularly Fear of Deportation (FOD), a subscale of the measure—are significantly associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Higher FOD was significantly associated with increased odds of screening positive for anxiety (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.02–1.17], p < .05), depression (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.02–1.18], p < .05), and PTSD (OR = 1.20, 95% CI [1.10–1.31], p < .001). In contrast, Marginalization Due to Perceived Illegality (MDPI), another subscale of the SIML that measured a sense of belonging, had no impact on “stigma/illegality.” Qualitative analysis on the impact of "illegality" identified themes including emotional distress, restricted mobility, limited access to resources, and constrained community participation. Coping strategies ranged from minimal or individual-level responses to active engagement in community networks and institutional initiatives.

Conclusions and Implications: This study underscores the significant impact of stigma and "illegality" on the mental health of undocumented Korean immigrants. Qualitative analysis revealed that, beyond psychological distress, these experiences shape social participation, mobility, and access to resources. The prevalence of anxiety and depression in this sample (46.0%) was notably higher than the average reported for Asian or Asian American populations (32.9%) (McGarity-Palmer et al., 2023). 47.8% of the participants screened positive for PTSD. The study results underscore the necessity of legal interventions to mitigate deportation threats, as well as the development of culturally and contextually responsive mental health resources for this population.