Impact of Immigration Policy on Immigrant Families: Current Research and Future Directions

Family reunification serves as the basis of U.S. immigration law. However, as the authors of this volume have highlighted, current policies and practices do not always support immigrant family reunification or functioning. Immigration policies and laws often impose external definitions of a family by providing limited opportunities for family migration, regularization of legal status, and reunification. Beyond migratory decisions and pathways to legalization, exclusionary immigration policies also impact the daily lives of immigrants and their children by inhibiting participation in public safety-net programs, restricting labor market opportunities, and obstructing access to education and health care. In this final chapter, we identify and discuss the salient themes explored throughout this volume. We pay particular attention to how U.S. immigration policies (1) impact family migratory decisions, (2) shape immigrant families’ composition and relationships, (3) impact family functioning by regulating immigrant families’ access to resources, and (4) have long-term implications as they contribute to intergenerational conflict, mental health burdens, and hinder socioeconomic mobility. To conclude, we highlight future directions for research and policy initiatives that may improve opportunities for immigrant family reunification and consider the health and well-being of immigrants and their family members.