Protective Resources, Legal Status, and the Integration of U.S. Immigrants Entering as Unaccompanied Children

Abstract

Prior studies of U.S. immigrant integration and well-being assume that immigrants arrive as adults rather than as children. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted in 2021 and 2022 with 77 immigrant adults who were living in Washington DC and Michigan, and entered the United States as unaccompanied children, we examine whether and how their integration and well-being depends on both legal status and access to protective resources such as teachers, peer mentors, and local youth organizations. Findings reveal that legality alone is not a sufficient explanation of integration and well-being. Access to protective resources enables integration, although those with temporary and undocumented status face more challenges and access fewer resources, affecting successful integration.