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Immigration enforcement activities have increased over the past year due to policy changes implemented by the current presidential administration. However, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency responsible for removals and deportations inside the country, has been in operation since 2003. U.S.-citizen children who witnessed enforcement episodes in their families during the Bush and Obama administrations are now young adults. This episode examines the long-lasting, generational effects of ICE’s actions on these U.S. citizens.
May 21, 2026Podcast
Latino children, the majority of whom have at least one immigrant parent, face challenges when it comes to education. Lower parental education, limited income, and for Latino immigrant families, learning a new language and understanding how the U.S. education system works, present additional obstacles to educational attainment. In response, early childhood education programs help to shrink gaps in education. This episode discusses how immigration policies affect access to these programs and to education in general.
April 29, 2026Podcast
New Research: Post-Disaster Return Migration to Puerto Rico
Center's Director, Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, and research team member Emely Matos-Pichardo presented findings from their ongoing research at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting on April 9th, 2026. This research on post-disaster return migration explores the real experiences of families who returned to the island after Hurricane Maria, and what drives them to keep moving.
April 9, 2026Research
The year 2025 saw the passing of dozens of executive orders related to immigration. Among them were mandates to increase the detention and deportation of immigrants through increased agreements between local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — known as 287(g) agreements — and increasing the presence of ICE and Customs and Border Protection in the interior of the country. How has ramped up immigration enforcement affected the lives of mixed-status families in 91ÉçÇø? This episode features research findings of a study that examined the effects of recent enforcement activity on immigrant parents and their U.S.-born children.
March 25, 2026Podcast
IWRC Director, Dr. Elizabeth Aranda was interviewed by Telemundo about the Center's recently published report on how immigration laws are paralyzing the lives of documented and undocumented individuals. The findings highlight the dire conditions in detention centers and the negative health consequences that both immigrants and US citizens are facing due to widespread fear and uncertainty.
January 27, 2026Publications & Products
Tampa Bay Times featured Im/migrant Well-being Research Center's new report. The article talks about the changes reshaping immigrant families’ livelihoods and health care — even for U.S. citizens.
December 12, 2025Publications & Products
Bay News 9 covers new Im/migrant Well-being Research Center report: "Behind Immigration Policies."
December 11, 2025Publications & Products
WUSF covers the new report released by the Im/migrant Well-being Research Center. It shows how federal and state policies have pushed immigrants and their family members into a state of social isolation.
December 8, 2025Publications & Products
IWRC Releases New Report on Immigrant Experiences with Intensified Enforcement in 91ÉçÇø
The Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center has released a new qualitative report based on 53 in-depth interviews documenting how intensified state and federal immigration enforcement is affecting immigrants and their U.S.-born children in 91ÉçÇø. The report highlights impacts on work, housing, family life, health, education, and community well-being. Multi-language one-pagers and a narrative toolkit are also available.
December 1, 2025Publications & Products
Bay News 9 features Dr. Elizabeth Aranda and IWRC podcast. As immigration policies continue to change under a new presidential administration, one educator is doing what she can to keep people in the know by hosting a podcast called "Im/migrant Lives."
September 4, 2025Publications & Products
Center Director Elected 2025 - 2026 Chair of ASA International Migration Section
Center Director Dr. Elizabeth Aranda has been elected Chair-Elect of the ASA International Migration Section for 2025–26, recognizing her leadership in public sociology and groundbreaking work on immigrant well-being.
August 1, 2025Publications & Products
With increasing numbers of immigrants being detained or removed from their communities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), what are the effects of detaining them on their well-being? In this episode, we discuss the current issues facing detained immigrants and what the research says about immigrant well-being in detention centers.
July 24, 2025Podcast