Los Angeles Clinic Reports Rise in Anxiety and Depression Among Patients Since 2025 Immigration Enforcement

Zocalo Health, a primary care clinic in Los Angeles that serves mainly Latino families on Medicaid, reported a rise in mental health symptoms among patients after immigration enforcement actions began in the Los Angeles area in 2025. All patients at the clinic receive standardized screenings for anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Sophia Pages, licensed marriage and family therapist and executive director of behavioral health at Zocalo Health, said screening data showed a clear rise in distress during periods of intensified enforcement. "More than half of the patients we screened had anxiety that was severe enough to interfere with their daily life, and nearly three quarters were experiencing depression," Pages said.

Nearly one in eight individuals reported suicidal thoughts, more than double the rate in the general population.

Esperanza, a 29-year-old mother of two who lives in King City, California, said her symptoms worsened after enforcement actions began. Originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, she arrived in the United States in 2023 and has been seeking asylum. She described prior trauma from cartel demands in Mexico and the journey to the border.

When she attended immigration court, she said fears of deportation intensified her anxiety and panic attacks. Esperanza said therapy at Zocalo Health helped her manage symptoms through breathing exercises and community support. She has shared coping tools with her husband and 11-year-old son.

Hoet, a pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said Latino children already face higher rates of depression and anxiety due to cultural adaptation and past trauma. Hoet said fear of family separation adds chronic stress.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found children who experience a parent's deportation have more than double the odds of developing PTSD. Hoet said symptoms in children can appear as physical complaints, clinginess, withdrawal or changes in sleep and appetite.

Partners at schools and local organizations have reported a rise in behavioral symptoms since enforcement increased.