A secret life: The psychosocial impact of falling out of status

This study investigates how the production of illegality, via the refugee determination system, changes people's psychosocial health and affects family wellbeing. A gender focus is used in this research. While people become visible to authorities as subjects of deportation, they also become legally nonexistent. This creates risk and danger, limits to public services and protections, and vulnerability. These produce trauma conditions whereby people experience fear, powerlessness, and other mental health effects. Families experience isolation, less family activities and an increase of conflict and aggression. Despite psychosocial stress, people remain resilient, and find ways to live, and cope. The data was collected through ten semi-structured interviews with Latinos/as who overstayed their deportation order. It was complemented with a journal based on the author's reflections working with twenty one individuals with similar profiles. The health impact of lack of status shows immigration legal status as a major determinant of health.