So-called “Operation Midway Blitz” has brought an increase of federal officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Chicago and the surrounding areas.
For many — especially immigrants and their families — the climate has fueled fear and uncertainty. Aimee Hilado, an assistant professor at the University of Chicago’s Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, has spent nearly two decades focusing on refugee and immigrant mental health, and providing mental health services both to newcomers and existing immigrant communities.
She said prolonged fear and uncertainty have real consequences for both individuals and communities: immigrants constantly in fear of deportation could experience prolonged depression, sleep disruptions, appetite changes and difficulty concentrating, along with physical symptoms such as chronic headaches, coughs and stomachaches.
“No one is wired to live with sustained stressors and traumas in our life,” Hilado said. “Prolonged chronic stress [and]exposure to trauma does change how we see ourselves, how we see the people around us, how we see our futures.”
Here are five mental health strategies she recommends:
Normalize what you and others are feeling.
If what is happening around you makes you feel anxious or nervous, that’s okay, Hilado says. It’s important to normalize and validate trauma and stress responses.
“We don’t want people to feel guilt or embarrassment for feeling depressed, for feeling anxious, for changing their behaviors or having emotional reactions to their experience, because these are normal reactions by those who are feeling threatened by the current climate,” Hilado said.
She said these are normal responses to stress and trauma and there’s nothing wrong with them. If you see someone having these feelings, Hilado said, validate those feelings and remind them they’re not alone.
Create patterns and routines.
With armed patrols downtown, threats of a military deployment to Chicago and fear of deportation, everyday life can feel unpredictable. Hilado said the opposite of uncertainty is structure.
“Have routines, create patterns of expectation amidst all of the uncertainty,” she said.
Hilado recommends creating predictable patterns – especially during times that feel unpredictable.
“It can be the activity of staying informed and staying connected in ways that feel safe, and taking care of your physical needs – sleeping, eating, having a routine, a hygiene routine, all of those a matter,” Hilado said.
Create a sense of community and connection.
People prioritize physical safety during uncertain times, Hilado said. This could mean staying at home and avoiding public gatherings.
Hilado said that causes mental health providers to worry about self-isolation.
“Loss of connection with community can increase distress and it weakens communities. We isolate because we want to feel safe, but it leaves us feeling alone, which can increase feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, which actually could contribute to the increasing mental health crises,” she said.
Hilado said communities should create safe opportunities for people to congregate even if that’s virtually.
“They can talk about strategies to navigate this uncertain time, and they’re reminded that as scary as this time is, there are people that are standing alongside…them.”
Focus on your self-agency.
Hilado says the current immigration arrests and deportation campaign can create a sense of powerlessness for immigrants.
Hilado said trauma has an uncanny ability to make people forget their agency. But she adds that planning can restore a measure of control.
“It’s important to promote adaptive coping, that can be reminding people of how they’ve coped in the past in difficult situations,” she said. “Remind people of resources so that they feel they have some power and agency in their circumstances.”
Hilado added that chronic stress and trauma could bleed into a sense of powerlessness, but people can combat that feeling by going to “Know Your Rights” trainings and creating family preparedness plans.
“[That training] is not just for newcomers or immigrant communities, but it’s for anyone that wants to be an informed, contributing citizen,” she said. “If you see something that shouldn’t be happening, say something. You should be able to stand up for folks and their rights.”
Be mindful of children’s mental health.
Hilado stressed that children absorb stress just as deeply as adults.
She said it’s important for mental health care providers and residents to recognize the signs of mental distress impacting communities across all ages.
“Babies and toddlers also have mental health needs, and they grow up in the context of relationships with their adult caregivers,” Hilado said. “So if adults are struggling, you will see the same struggles play out in children.”
Children can sometimes mirror the distress of the adults in their lives. She has seen children experiencing stomachaches and headaches tied to anxiety. They can also struggle with focus in school because of the fear that their parents may not be there when they return home.
Araceli Gómez-Aldana is a WBEZ reporter and host.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Hilado’s first name.