Immigration Status as a Death Sentence: New Research Exposes Health Inequities

Strategic Insights -

A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, has shed light on the devastating impact of immigration status on public health outcomes, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that immigrant individuals who were potentially undocumented experienced significantly higher relative excess mortality rates compared to their documented counterparts and U.S.-born citizens. The findings reveal failures in both public health and immigration policy, exposing a health equity gap that has serious consequences for communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that immigrant individuals who were potentially undocumented experienced a 55% increase in death rate above pre-pandemic levels, compared to a 22% increase among those who appeared to be documented immigrants and a 12% increase among U.S.-born citizens.
  • Latino essential workers who were potentially undocumented were the hardest hit subgroup, experiencing a 91% increase in deaths over pre-pandemic levels.
  • The study's findings show, for the first time, how specific immigration statuses contributed to COVID-19 mortality inequities for the state's Latino population.
  • Factors that likely contributed to higher death rates for undocumented immigrants include greater risk of workplace exposure, lower levels of access to health care and social safety net programs, and the immune system impacts of chronic stress.
  • Researchers analyzed death certificates of all California residents aged 25 and older who died of natural causes between 2016 and 2023, classifying individuals as either U.S.-born, those who appeared to be documented immigrants, or immigrants who may have been undocumented.
  • The team modeled pandemic-era survival outcomes across immigration statuses and a range of other sociodemographic factors, finding a clear gradient in pandemic survival outcomes within most subgroups.
  • Latino essential workers who were potentially undocumented were the most vulnerable subgroup, highlighting the need for targeted policy interventions to address their specific health and safety needs.

Statistics:

  • The study found a 55% increase in death rate among potentially undocumented immigrants, compared to a 22% increase among documented immigrants and a 12% increase among U.S.-born citizens.
  • Latino essential workers who were potentially undocumented experienced a 91% increase in deaths over pre-pandemic levels, compared to an 8% increase among white U.S.-born citizens.
  • The pandemic brought a 22% increase in death rate among immigrants who appeared to be documented, compared to a 55% increase among potentially undocumented immigrants and a 12% increase among U.S.-born citizens.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 2016 to 2023, covering over 1 million death certificates.

Sources:

  • Riley, A. et al. (2025). Immigration Status and Excess Mortality During the COVID-19 Pandemic in California. American Journal of Public Health, 105(3), 415-425. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308150
  • University of California, Santa Cruz. (2025, July 25). New Research Shows How Immigration Status Can Become a Death Sentence During Public Health Crisis. Retrieved from