Through interviews with those on the frontline, policy discussions, and conversations with clinicians, researchers, and advocates, UNSETTLED illustrates the lived health consequences of immigration to the United States. It brings into focus what is often absent from policy debates and the media.
Recent episodes include:
Liberation is Healthcare
Dr. L. Toni Lewis and Eddie González-Novoa from Liberation Health Strategies explore what liberation-centered healthcare looks like in practice. They discuss community partnerships, immigrant experiences, mentorship, and how healthcare can move beyond equity toward true healing and belonging.
The Undocumented Student
The financial, legal, and institutional barriers facing undocumented students pursuing medicine—from DACA uncertainty and licensing restrictions to predatory lending and immigration battle fatigue—are explored by Rachel Fabi, PhD, and Katherine Narvaez, MD, MPH, MBA. We also dive into why supporting these students strengthens healthcare through culturally and linguistically concordant care.
The Public Health Cost of ICE
Dr. Judith Flores speaks with Dr. Kate Sugarman about the health consequences of immigration detention in the United States. Drawing from her experience reviewing medical records from ICE detention centers, Dr. Sugarman discusses medical neglect, unsafe living conditions, barriers to specialty care, infectious disease risks, and the trauma detention can inflict on individuals and families. The conversation also explores the broader public health impact of detention and how healthcare professionals can use advocacy, volunteering, and their professional voices to push for change.
Immigration and Reproductive Justice
What does reproductive justice look like for immigrant families? In this episode, Rachel Fabi, associate professor in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, discusses how immigration policy shapes access to healthcare, prenatal care, and the ability to safely raise children. Also explored are family separation, the ethical responsibilities of clinicians, and why equitable healthcare is essential for healthier communities.
“Unsettled” is available wherever you get your podcasts. Scan the code below to listen on Spotify:
