Research shows that restrictive immigration policies and practices are associated with poor health, but far less is known about the relationship between inclusive immigration policies and health. Using data from the United States natality files, we estimate associations between state laws granting undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses and perinatal outcomes among 4,047,067 singleton births to Mexican and Central American immigrant birthing people (2008–2021). Fitting multivariable log binomial and linear models, we find that the implementation of a license law is associated with improvements in low birthweight and mean birthweight. Replicating these analyses among U.S.-born non-Hispanic White birthing people, we find no association between the implementation of a license law and birthweight. These findings support the hypothesis that states’ extension of legal rights to immigrants improves the health of the next generation.

中文翻译：

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将驾驶执照扩展到无证移民：比较这一政策转变后的围产期结果


研究表明，限制性移民政策和做法与健康状况不佳有关，但人们对包容性移民政策与健康之间的关系知之甚少。利用美国出生档案中的数据，我们估计了墨西哥和中美洲移民出生的 4,047,067 名单胎婴儿中授予无证移民获得驾驶执照的州法律与围产期结局之间的关联（2008 年至 2021 年）。通过拟合多变量对数二项式和线性模型，我们发现许可法的实施与低出生体重和平均出生体重的改善相关。在美国出生的非西班牙裔白人出生者中重复这些分析，我们发现许可证法的实施与出生体重之间没有关联。这些发现支持这样的假设：各州向移民提供合法权利可以改善下一代的健康。