The mental well-being of North Carolina's immigrant population is more important than ever this year for , a leading Latino mental health provider, as President Donald Trump's second administration begins.
Advocates say the president's promise to make immigration enforcement a top priority has spread uncertainty and fear among North Carolina immigrant communities.
Immigration-related stressors can be a central health risks for immigrants in the U.S., according to El Futuro's founder Luke Smith. This is true also for those adapting to a new culture and language, whether its from seeking asylum, living without legal status, or working toward citizenship.
"The new administration brings a mixed message," Smith told 瓜神app. "The Hispanic community in North Carolina now is 11% of our (population), is a significant contributor to the economy and to the people who are doing the work. They feel more and more grounded in their jobs and their lives. They feel like they're contributing and they're feeling more settled. But wait, you're maybe not sure if you want us here. That feels super unsettling."
Migration-related stressors can lead to depression, anxiety, and substance abuse disorders for Latino immigrant adults, children, and mixed-status families, according to the . It's prevalent within many of the thousands of people El Futuro sees a year, Smith said.
"A lot of what we're trying to do is reassure people, affirm people who they are, and try to reach out and befriend," said Smith. "That's hard to do when you don't know what the next chapter is going to be here in American policy."
On Wednesday, , the first bill of his second presidency, into law. The new law, dubbed as "anti-immigrant" by opponents, would prioritize immigration detention for migrants without legal status charged with minor crimes like shoplifting.
El Futuro is based in Durham and Siler City but serves the mental health treatment needs through bilingual, accessible and culturally-sensitive services to residents across 60 counties.
Smith said his organization is encouraging people to not be afraid to seek care and help.
Rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement presence around the Triangle have already begun to spread, and most of them have turned out be false, according to several immigrant advocacy groups.
Other rumors have turned out to be true in Charlotte, according to social media posts by Carolina Migrant Network. These events trigger alerts sent out to thousands of people who have signed up to get alerts of police checkpoints and ICE presence via text messages and social media.
"One of the things I worry about is the rumor mill," he said. "People go underground and people hide, and people don't access services, and people don't gather in places that reaffirms who they are in their culture, and those rumors are really dangerous.
Another group, Siembra NC, has been offering community trainings to verify rumors of ICE activity in order to dispel rumors and false information.
A support hotline operated by Siembra received 267 phone calls from Jan. 20 to Jan. 26, but none of those calls led to a confirmed migration detention.
A quarter of calls received reported a rumor heard by someone else, a third of the calls made ended within five seconds and just 6% reported a suspected ICE presence, according to a Siembra news release.
鈥淭hese rumors themselves are not the problem. The administration has put in doubt whether the safest places in our community are still safe for everyone," said Siembra NC co-director Nikki Marin Baena.
Marin Baena made a reference in her statement to Stephen Miller, President Trump's White House Deputy Chief of Staff for policy and homeland security advisor, and known architect of Trump's immigration policies.
"Stephen Miller said 鈥榮elf-deportation鈥� is the goal, and to do that, the administration needs to make millions of us feel panicked," Marin Baena said.
