News & Media
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
Hesitation to Seek Healthcare Among Immigrants in a Restrictive State Context
This new study, authored by the Center's Director Dr. Elizabeth Aranda, Research Associate Liz Ventura Molina, and collaborators, investigates how fear of deportation, discrimination, and legal status shape healthcare-seeking behaviors among displaced populations in Florida. Drawing on survey data from 466 participants, the study finds that perceived everyday discrimination, independent of immigration status or income, is a significant barrier to healthcare access. The research highlights how Florida’s SB 1718 law and anti-immigrant rhetoric are creating a climate of fear that deters even legally present individuals from seeking medical attention. The findings carry important implications for public health, policy, and equity.
July 15, 2025Research
Im/migrant Lives Season 2 Episode 8: How do immigrants who legally came to the United States navigate the loss of their legal status?
At least half a million immigrants who recently came to the United States did so legally, a process that hinged on them passing security vetting and having a U.S. sponsor. Nonetheless, their current legal status is in jeopardy. In this episode, we discuss how these populations are navigating these issues and how the political uncertainty is affecting their daily lives.
June 25, 2025Podcast
As States Diverge on Immigration, Hospitals Say They Won’t Turn Patients Away
The Im/migrant Well-Being Research Center was recently featured in an article by KFF Health News. The article discusses how various states are responding to immigration policies affecting healthcare access and highlights findings from our recent report on the impact of Florida's immigration law on healthcare utilization. Research Associate Liz Ventura Molina was quoted in the article, emphasizing the concerning hesitation among noncitizens to seek medical care following the implementation of SB 1718.
January 23, 2025Publications & Products
Florida's New Law on Immigrants May Foreshadow What's To Come Nationally
Dr. Elizabeth Aranda and Research Associate Liz Ventura Molina co-authored a Newsweek opinion piece. The article discusses findings from the Center’s recent study on SB 1718, highlighting the law’s economic, psychological, and public health consequences. Their analysis highlights how such policies affect not only immigrants but also U.S. citizens and warns of potential national ramifications if similar measures are expanded.
January 22, 2025Publications & Products
Im/migrant Lives Podcast
The podcast “Im/migrant Lives” seeks to inform the public about current issues affecting im/migrant communities, drawing on both cutting-edge research and grassroots activities to inform listeners’ understandings of the challenges affecting im/migrant well-being and ways in which public policies and community organizations can solve the most pressing problems facing these groups.