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![According to a new University of South Florida study, the impact of Florida's tougher immigration policies extends beyond those who lack legal status. Across all groups, they shared a climate of fear, distrust, and constant vigilance. [ JUAN CARLOS CHAVEZ | Times ]](/arts-sciences/centers/iwrc/news/images/2025/tampa-bay-times-new-iwrc-report-2025-490x328.png)
Florida’s new immigration policies are upending lives, USF study finds
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
'Behind Immigration Policies' report dives into realities facing immigrant parents
Bay News 9 covers new Im/migrant Well-being Research Center report: "Behind Immigration Policies."
December 11, 2025Publications & Products
Report sheds light on the lives of Florida immigrants under Trump's second term
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 Florida
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 Florida. 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
USF professor educates about immigration policies through 'Im/migrant Lives' podcast
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
Im/migrant Lives Season 2 Episode 9: How does detention affect immigrants’ lives?
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
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
Im/migrant Lives Season 2 Episode 7: How do partnerships between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local police, known as 287(g) agreements, affect immigrant communities?
Since December of 2024, the number of partnerships between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local police and sheriffs’ offices, also known as 287(g) agreements, grew at an unprecedented rate, from 139 agreements to 531 as of May 8, 2025, representing a 225% increase. These agreements deputize local police officers to carry out immigration enforcement, traditionally the realm of the federal government. In this episode, we discuss the research on how these agreements affect immigrant communities.
May 27, 2025Podcast
Im/migrant Lives Season 2 Episode 6: The President’s Executive Orders and Implications for Im/migrant Well-Being
Since President Trump took office earlier this year, he has signed many immigration-related Executive Orders that contain dozens of policy changes. In this episode, we provide an overview of these Executive Orders, their current status, and the implications of these actions for im/migrant well-being.
March 27, 2025Podcast
Reflecting on the IWB 2025 Conference: A Nexus for Policy and Research
Explore the highlights and key outcomes of the 2025 IWB Conference, co-hosted by the Immigrant Wellbeing Research Center and the Cisneros Hispanic Leadership Institute. Discover how this gathering of scholars, policymakers, and community leaders spurred deep discussions on immigration policy, research, and the critical need for inclusive, evidence-based approaches to support immigrant well-being across generations.
March 3, 2025Publications & Products