State Pre-Emption of Municipal Laws and Policies Affecting Immigrants' Culture of Health, North Carolina, 2019-2020

Municipal laws and policies affect the social, economic, and legal conditions of civic and private lives of immigrants in profound and fundamental ways, including both direct access to health services, as well as broader social determinants that contribute to a Culture of Health, such as employment, housing, education, transportation, and law enforcement. Some municipalities have proclaimed themselves sanctuary cities or counties or have adopted laws and policies that limit local involvement in immigration enforcement or protect immigrants to some substantial extent. However, at least nine states have laws that preempt local municipal protective laws and policies, and more than a dozen other states reportedly are considering similar pre-emption laws. The research team systematically examined the consequences of state preemption of protective municipal laws and policies on the health and well-being of a large and particularly vulnerable community in the United States: the immigrant Latinx/Hispanic community.