Abstract
Shifts in U.S. immigration policy over the past two decades have resulted in increased deportations of unauthorized persons residing in the United States. As a result, a disproportionate number of Latinx families have been subjected to forced family separations. While previous studies have focused on the effects of parental deportation on young children, this study uniquely contributes to the literature by exploring how adolescents experience and cope with a forced family separation. Drawing upon ambiguous loss theory, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with Latinx youth (n = 8) and their mothers (n = 8) who experienced a forced family separation, and school-based staff (n = 11). The analysis revealed four main findings: 1) Following the deportation of a parent, youth experienced symptoms of trauma; 2) fear of additional family separation; 3) behavioral changes; and 4) academic disruptions. Implications include developing culturally-based, trauma-informed, and contextually situated assessments and interventions for youth and families affected by deportation.