Immigration arrest rates linked to poorer recall in Latinx adults
An observational study linked higher county immigration arrest rates to poorer recall among Latinx adults in early midlife, relative to White adults.
The Journals of Gerontology, Series B
Researchers used longitudinal data on US adults in early midlife to examine links between immigration arrests and working memory, the ability to hold and use information briefly. In this observational study, they linked county arrest rates from Immigration and Customs Enforcement to participants’ later performance on a test requiring them to repeat digits backwards. Rates counted arrests per 1,000 foreign-born adults over the previous year.
Latinx participants living in counties with higher arrest rates had lower recall scores relative to White participants. The researchers found no such associations among Black or Asian participants. They also observed the association among US-born Latinx participants. An additional analysis accounting for missing data produced similar results.
Why it matters
This midlife measure offers a starting point for future research on how immigration enforcement environments may relate to changes in cognitive functioning with age.
Caveats
This observational study could not show that immigration enforcement caused poorer recall. The researchers found no evidence that the association differed by birthplace, but had limited ability to detect such differences.
The paper
Immigration arrests and midlife cognitive health in the United States
University of Colorado Population Center · University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The Journals of Gerontology, Series B · 1 Oct 2026
