Work

The Intergenerational Impact of Parental Immigration Status: Educational and Health Outcomes Among Children of Undocumented Immigrants

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study examines how parental legal status operates as a fundamental social determinant of health and educational equity, focusing on long-term outcomes among U.S.-born and foreign-born children of immigrants. We hypothesized that intergenerational stress and institutional exclusion associated with undocumented status would lead to lower educational attainment and poorer health. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), a nationally representative cohort, participants were classified by inferred parental legal status: native-born, documented immigrant, and undocumented immigrant. Outcomes included high school graduation, college enrollment, depression scores, and chronic health conditions. Children of undocumented parents exhibited the most adverse outcomes—lower graduation (63.8%) and college enrollment rates (39.9%), higher depression, and greater chronic illness. In models controlling for socioeconomic factors, parental undocumented status independently predicted reduced odds of college enrollment (OR = 0.61, p < 0.001) and increased odds of reporting fair/poor health (OR = 2.10, p < 0.001). Findings highlight legal precarity as a potent driver of intergenerational disadvantage and underscore the need for policies addressing the barriers faced by children in undocumented families to promote health and educational equity.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph23010108

Author: Igor Ryabov

Institution: The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Health and Trauma

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,016