Immigrant Inclusivity in Doña Ana County, New Mexico

According to the Pew Research Center, more immigrants are living in the United States than in any other country in the world. Approximately 40 million people in the United States were born in another country.  ¹   The population of immigrants in the United States is very diverse, with about every country in the world represented among immigrants. In New Mexico, nearly one in ten residents is an immigrant, and one in nine is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent. Immigrants in New Mexico contribute greatly to the state's economy. One in eight New Mexico workers is an immigrant, making up a vital part of the state's labor force across industries.  ²   Immigrants contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and add billions to the economy. Immigrants play an important role in the state, but how does the state of New Mexico serve this population?

 The Center on Immigration and Child Welfare (CICW)  at New Mexico State University set out to learn about the accessibility of supportive services (e.g., medical/dental, mental health, early childhood, and more) for immigrant families ³  with young children in Doña Ana County. Accessibility to services is multi-faceted, encompassing:

• Financial capital- e.g., money, credit, insurance, access to technology, and the internet.
• Social capital- e.g., knowledge of resources and the ability to navigate complex systems, language access, and the time and transportation to get to and from those services.

Accessibility is also about inclusivity within systems that may or may not serve the community through an immigrant-focused lens.  In the summer of 2022, the CICW, with support from the  Center for Community Analysis at New Mexico State University , interviewed and surveyed organizations that provide supportive services in Doña Ana County. The survey questions focused on topics to measure the degree to which organizations were inclusive of the immigrant community. But first, let's learn more about the county.

The research team attempted to contact all mapped organizations for phone interviews. Of the 106 organizations contacted, 58 accepted invitations for an interview, with a response rate of 55%. Interviewers asked to connect with someone holding a leadership role in the organization that was well-versed in organization policies and procedures. Researchers indicated that they were conducting a study to learn about the policies and practices guiding how Doña Ana County organizations serve immigrants in the community. The interview consisted of 20 questions about the organization’s policies and procedures related to topics like protecting confidential information, interactions with law enforcement and immigration officials, service eligibility and documentation requirements, language access, and immigrant-focused outreach and service provision. Interviewers also asked about the types of services the organizations provided.

Of the services provided by participating organizations, approximately one-third were health-related services. Housing and food assistance services were provided by 21% of the interviewees. 16% of the organizations interviewed provided legal services and services for young children. In addition, 9% provided income aid, and 5% provided unemployment assistance. Preschool and dental services comprised less than 5% of the services provided by those interviewed.

The interviews used different questions to assess each organization’s inclusivity of immigrant families. These questions fell into seven categories of policies and practices essential to an organization's ability to serve immigrant clients.

1. Law Enforcement/ICE Interactions
2. Service Eligibility/Documentation Requirements
3. Funding Sources
4. Targeted Referrals, Case Management, and Inter-Agency Collaboration
5. Language Access/Services
6. Immigrant-Focused Trauma-Informed Practices
7. Immigrant-Focused Outreach and Trust Building

The majority of organizations don't have policies prohibiting interaction with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). When asked if their organization has a protocol or policy prohibiting interaction with or sharing information with law enforcement and ICE regarding immigrant clients, more than half of the respondents (57%) answered "No," 40% answered "Yes," and 3% were unsure. Of those who answered yes, nearly all (96%) trained staff on this policy or protocol.

Only 26% of interviewees correctly identified their "protected area" status. Protected areas (formerly known as "sensitive locations") are places where enforcement actions of immigration agents, such as ICE officers, are  restricted . Protected areas include but are not limited to schools, health facilities, places of worship, and public demonstrations. These locations are recognized as protected to ensure that people, regardless of immigration status, have access to health and education, have the freedom to worship, and publicly convene without the fear or threat of immigration enforcement.

Although 95% of organizations interviewed are considered protected areas under federal policy, when asked if their organization was considered a “sensitive location/protected area," 40% answered "I don't know," 38% responded "No," and 22% responded "Yes." Based on the definition, roughly only one out of every four organizations correctly identified their status. Among organizations that self-identified as a sensitive location, 46% stated that they communicate to their clients that ICE cannot conduct raids/enforcement operations there, and 54% train their staff on communicating about sensitive locations/protected areas to their clients.

The data suggest that most organizations serving immigrants in Doña Ana have limited or no partnership with law enforcement and ICE, yet the majority do not know whether their organization is considered a safe space for immigrants.

Nearly 70% of organizations do not require proof of citizenship for clients to obtain services. Regarding service eligibility and documentation requirements for serving immigrants, 69% of organizations do not require an SSN or proof of citizenship, 19% of organizations reported needing proof for some services, and only 10% always required proof of citizenship for clients to receive services. In addition, 69% of organizations allowed alternative forms of ID – such as a driver’s license or consular ID – for immigrants to obtain their services. When asked how many services were available to undocumented immigrants, 81% of interviewees responded, "all services," 14% said, "some services," and 5% were unsure.

Nearly two out of every three organizations reported having funds to support services for immigrants who may not otherwise qualify under federal policy requirements. 66% of organizations have the financial capability to provide their organization's specialties to immigrant families, while 24% did not have funds. Among the 24% without funds to support services for immigrants, less than half (43%) of organizations actively sought funding to provide services for immigrants who did not qualify. Funding is often in the form of grants, private donations, or aid from the government. When organizations have or seek alternative funding sources (e.g., funds from private donors) to support services for immigrants, it helps eliminate what can otherwise be a huge barrier to essential services.

Most organizations reported implementing targeted referrals for clients they couldn't serve. Although the data indicate that a majority of organizations serve immigrants and have the financial means to do so continually, there may be times when an agency comes across an immigrant client they cannot serve. In these instances, 93% of organizations reported referring the client elsewhere. Despite the 7% who do not refer out, most organizations are interconnected and collaborate to serve immigrants, so no one is left without assistance. 88% of organizations reported teaming up with other community organizations to expand their capacity to meet the needs of immigrant families.

Language can be a significant barrier to service receipt experiences across various types of social and supportive services. When miscommunication occurs because of language barriers, there is an increased risk of low-quality assistance and misunderstanding of needs. All organizations that receive federal funding for health-related services are required to have written language access plans for serving clients per the  National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards.  Two out of every three organizations reported having a written language access plan that spells out how to provide services to individuals who are non-English speaking or have limited English proficiency.

Most organizations also reported offering interpretation and translation services to immigrant clients. 90% of organizations reported offering in-person interpretation to address language issues, and 81% provided interpretation by phone. 95% reported translating all pertinent agency documents. 85% of organizations indicated that their interpretation and translation services are sufficient to meet their clients' language needs. 

Having staff proficient in the language of immigrants being served can increase the quality and relevance of services. 81% of organizations reported that some staff speak Spanish or another language commonly spoken by immigrants – compared to 16% who reported that all staff speak it and 3% who reported having no bilingual staff. In addition, having a staff of similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds to their immigrant clients can create a sense of trust, relatedness, and security. 83% of organizations have some staff members of similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds as the immigrant clients they serve. Lastly, when asked if these numbers of staff are sufficient to meet the needs of immigrant clients, the majority of organizations answered: "yes" (93%).

Most organizations do not train staff on trauma-informed practice specific to immigrant families and experiences. Trauma-informed practice that is specific to immigrant contexts and experiences includes awareness of topics such as culturally relevant trauma conceptualizations; pre-, peri-, and post-migration trauma experiences; historical and political contexts; trauma measurement and screening for immigrant populations; and individual and organizational level trauma-informed practices with immigrant populations. Only 36% of organizations reported training staff on trauma-informed practice for immigrant clients. Ensuring that staff are trained on immigrant-specific trauma experiences can help improve outcomes as service provision and referrals can be better tailored to the unique needs and experiences of the immigrant client.

Building trust and conducting immigrant-focused outreach is essential for promoting equitable access to basic services. For example, community health workers, also known as promotoras, can significantly improve health and reduce health inequalities for immigrants as promotoras act as trusted messengers and build rapport with immigrant communities. Many organizations in Doña Ana County – 71% - do some type of outreach toward immigrant families and communities. This outreach takes the form of the following:

• Promotoras
• Word of mouth
• Door-to-door outreach
• Workplace outreach
• Social media
• Spanish radio stations, grocery stores, and more.

The Center on Immigration and Child Welfare is using this research along with interviews with families to develop a suite of guides and training for organizations to increase policies and practices that are inclusive of immigrant families.

The team compared inclusivity measures across service types by creating an index of inclusivity. Organizations were given points for confirming policies and practices that are immigrant-friendly and likely to increase their access to services. For example, if an organization provided translation services, it received points for that policy, and if it trained its staff on that policy, it was given additional points. Results found no differences in inclusivity between service types. ¹¹  For example, when it comes to law enforcement/ICE interactions, an organization delivering social services was no different from an organization delivering medical services.

Service Types Compared:

• Health/Medical
• Mental/Behavioral Health
• Dental
• Legal
• Housing
• Multi-Service/Social Services
• Educational Services
• Food
• Early Childhood Services
• Employment/Unemployment Services
• Income

These findings have helped us understand whether organizations use best practices for making access to services easier for immigrant families. For community organizations that may serve immigrants, implementing organizational policies and procedures that protect immigrant clients and expand access to the organization’s services to immigrants regardless of legal status are essential for increasing responsiveness to immigrants’ needs and circumstances. Ensuring staff is trained on these policies and other immigration-related issues is critical.

The following are recommendations related to interactions with law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), language access, confidentiality, and service eligibility that community organizations should implement to protect and expand access to services for immigrant families. Recommendations also include specific training topics to ensure that staff are equipped to serve their immigrant clients in a contextually grounded, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive manner.

Our recommendations to make organizations more inclusive of immigrants include:

• Develop policies that protect immigrant clients from law enforcement and ICE.
• Ensure that staff and clients know whether your organization is an ICE "protected area."
• Adjust documentation requirements in order to serve immigrants regardless of immigration status.
• Seek out alternative funding sources in order to serve immigrants regardless of status.
• Collaborate or contract with other community organizations to provide services to immigrants if your organization cannot.
• Develop a written language access plan that details how to provide services to non-English speakers or limited English proficiency, including interpretation and translation.
• Hire bilingual staff and staff who share similar ethnic and cultural backgrounds to the immigrant clients you serve.
• Train staff on trauma-informed practice specific to immigrant families and experiences.
• Create outreach materials that are tailored to immigrant communities and utilize immigrant-friendly outreach strategies.

In addition to these recommendations, the CICW has recently published a guide for service organizations and practitioners on how to increase the inclusivity of immigrant families. The guide contains recommendations on organization-level policies and practices as well as individual/provider-level practices. To access the guide, visit: