“No Se Supera El Daño Que Nos Hicieron”: Examining Experiences of Latino Immigrants In Immigration Detention

Background & Purpose:

There has been a significant escalation in immigration enforcement measures in the US, including community raids, detentions, and deportations (Hernandez, 2024). These enforcement strategies often inflict substantial physical and psychological trauma on immigrants and their families (Abrego & León, 2025). The dramatic increase in immigration enforcment makes it necessary to assess the impacts of immigration detention. Using LatCrit (Solórzano & Delgado Bernal, 2001; Valdes & Bender, 2021) and the Legal Violence framework (Menjívar & Abrego, 2012), this study examines how immigration policies and institutional racism in detention centers contribute to harm and abuse of immigrants and their communities. Together, these frameworks reveal immigration detention as a system of racialized control and the mechanisms through which it produces harm.

Methodology: Focus groups were conducted with 54 adult Latina/o immigrants (36 women and 18 men) who had been released from immigration detention between October 2022 and July 2023. Participants were recruited through immigrant rights and immigrant-serving organizations. Guided by a LatCrit framework, focus groups were conducted in participants’ preferred language (Spanish or English) using a semi-structured interview guide to explore experiences of detention, structural harm, and post-release challenges. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis approach (Braun & Clarke, 2019) by four bilingual, bicultural members of the research team. This approach centered participants’ lived experiences and examined how systems of power and racialization shape conditions within immigration detention and beyond.

Findings:

Through thematic analysis five major themes emerged: 1) Abuse & Mistreatment- participants indicated consistent incidents of ICE officials, Border Patrol and detention officers, using aggressive physical or verbal acts, lies, and intimidation; 2) Improper Medical Care- participants described being denied proper medical care or having medical concerns dismissed by health care providers in detention; 3) Ongoing Psychological Impacts- participants described their experiences while in detention leading to negative long-term psychological and emotional issues; 4) Faith & Resilience- despite being held in immigration detention, participants discussed the importance of focusing on their faith and religion to overcome the experiences of being in immigration detention; 5) Post-Detention Needs- participants described financial and emotional needs after being released from immigration detention.

Conclusions & Implications:

Using LatCrit and the Legal Violence framework, this study highlights how racist nativism shapes U.S. immigration policies and detention practices. Participants’ testimonios revealed pervasive abuse of power, mistreatment, and traumatic experiences within detention centers, with lasting effects that continued after release. However, participants also demonstrated resilience, drawing on faith and religion as sources of strength in navigating these conditions.

These findings underscore the urgent need for social work research to examine both the immediate and long-term impacts of immigration detention on individuals and communities. Implications for practice include the integration of trauma-informed and culturally responsive services for formerly detained immigrants, as well as strengthened partnerships with immigrant-serving organizations to support post-release needs. At the policy level, the profession must continue to advocate for the elimination of punitive immigration practices, including detention, and advance approaches that prioritize human rights, dignity, and community-based alternatives.