Health Outcomes for Undocumented Children and Families in America: A Moral and Ethical Concern

Abstract

The growing interest surrounding the estimated 11 million unaccounted, undocumented immigrants in America brings to light the issue not only from a governmental policy perspective, but also on a community level framework (Lopez, Bialik, & Radford, 2018). The increasing amount of media attention paid to undocumented immigration, coupled with the tense political climate surrounding the issue, has raised awareness on the various challenges undocumented immigrants today face in society compared to other Americans. Among the issues, mental and physical health have become highly publicized as an important area of study. On a basic level, health and wellness are acknowledged as important factors to overall human functioning. Public health research has shown how individual health and societal improvements are complementary to eachother (Nass, Levit, Gostin, & Rule, 2009). Therefore, it is in society's best interest to promote the wellbeing of all who live within the country. However, disparities in health outcomes go against the advancement of society, presenting an important moral and ethical concern that deserves closer investigation. [From Introduction]