Family Separation and Remigration Intentions to the USA among Mexican Deportees

Increasingly stringent immigration enforcement in the US interior has led to the deportation of large numbers of long-term Mexican immigrants with families in the USA. We analyse the statistical association between the intent to return to the USA and leaving minor children with spouses or other people in the USA among Mexican immigrants deported from the US interior in 2014-2018, and explore if this association varies by sex and year of deportation. We employ the deportees' section of the Survey on Migration on Mexico's Northern Border. The results indicate that having left children in the USA considerably increases the likelihood of a plan to return to the USA, especially in the short term and when deportees left minor children with a spouse. Remigration plans were higher among women and slightly decreased over time among parents, suggesting a continued failure of policy to account for the family circumstances of immigrants.

Automated summary

Deportation of Mexican immigrants from the US interior has led to increased likelihood of intending to return to the USA, particularly if they left minor children with a spouse. Women have higher remigration plans, while plans slightly decreased among parents over time, indicating policy failure in considering immigrant family circumstances.