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As immigrant arrests increase across NC, mental health care providers in Latino communities see surge in need

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md.
Alex Brandon
/
AP
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Baltimore Field Officer director Matt Elliston listens during a briefing, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in Silver Spring, Md.

Arrests of immigrants in North Carolina have risen significantly since the Trump administration’s expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Some therapists supporting Latino communities have seen sharp increases in mental health care needs during that same period.

Due South’s Jeff Tiberii talks with a panel of mental health experts and advocates about the impact of deportation fears on many in North Carolina’s Latino communities, barriers to mental health care, and strategies to support vulnerable populations during these uncertain times.

Camila Angelica Pulgar, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

Heather Ladov, Director of Clinical Services, El Futuro

Yazmin Garcia Rico, Director, Community Engagement & Impact, Cone Health Foundation

Yesenia Cuello, Co-Founder and Executive Director at NC FIELD

Jeff Tiberii is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Jeff joined WUNC in 2011. During his 20 years in public radio, he was Morning Edition Host at WFDD and WUNC’s Greensboro Bureau Chief and later, the Capitol Bureau Chief. Jeff has covered state and federal politics, produced the radio documentary “Right Turn,” launched a podcast, and was named North Carolina Radio Reporter of the Year four times.
Rachel McCarthy is a producer for "Due South." She previously worked at WUNC as a producer for "The Story with Dick Gordon." More recently, Rachel was podcast managing editor at Capitol Broadcasting Company where she developed narrative series and edited a daily podcast. She also worked at "The Double Shift" podcast as supervising producer. Rachel learned about audio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Prior to working in audio journalism, she was a research assistant at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.