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Health officials see impact of immigration fears: More no-shows, depression, anxiety

Fear of deportation is a factor in local health care, according to leaders at SeaMar Community Health.
Fear of deportation is a factor in local health care, according to leaders at SeaMar Community Health. (Photo: KING)

Public Health leaders say they have noticed a disturbing trend as the immigration debate continues.

More no-shows. More cases of depression and anxiety.

It's the byproduct, says Claudia D'Allegri, of the Trump administration's hard-line stance on immigration. The vice president of behavioral health for Sea Mar makes it clear.

"We don't care about immigration status; we don't care about social security."

Yet D'Allegri says she's alarmed at what she's seen and heard in the clinics, which have been known for years as safe havens for the Latino community.

She points to a drop in drug and alcohol counseling clients at an out-patient facility in Lynnwood. She says the counseling is mandated, and for years it has been full, with all 20 spots allocated.

But in the last year, there has only been 3-4 patients at a time, a drop of 80 percent.

"They are making a choice not to attend - not to attend treatment if they attend, it's going to be worse."

With 26 clinics spread across the state, there are a lot of stories. D'Allegri cites specifically cases involving domestic violence survivors, in fear of filing restraining orders, due to deportation.

Another woman, she says, recently canceled a pre-natal visit because of her fears.

"She canceled her appointment. She told her counselor, I don't want to go out, I don't want to go out," said D'Allegri. "We have clients that come to us whose chief concern, complaint specifically is the fear of deportation."

At another clinic, child and family therapist Argelia Chavez took a break from another counseling session to talk about what she's seeing.

"I'm hearing about more anxiety than ever before," she said. "If I have 40 clients, maybe 35 or 30 are Latinos. All of them have a fear of a family member, a husband, a wife, a child."

Chavez notes a male client having panic attacks, yet another Salvadorian woman who is worried about her family.

"She's afraid of going back, she's going to find death there," said Chavez. "(That) something is going to happen to her, and she has two young children."

D'Allegri says it is important to stress that the nonprofit is and will continue to be a safe place, with no request for papers or proof of citizenship.

"We are here to provide services, health care for the clients. We are not an extension of any service, INS or any other service," she said, noting that the organization has also been a strong voice for Latino advocacy in the region. "I think the impact is on health care and at all different levels. This is very complex."

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