Perceived Immigration Policy Effects Scale: Development and Validation of a Scale on the Impact of State-Level Immigration Policies on Latino Immigrant Families

The present study describes the development and testing of the Perceived Immigration Policy Effects Scale (PIPES). The measure was developed in Spanish to assess the impact of state-level immigration policies on Latino immigrant parents. This study describes the steps taken to develop the scale items and psychometric testing. The scale was completed by 300 Latino immigrant parents in the state of Arizona. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed/confirmed a four-factor model (discrimination, social exclusion, threat to family, and children's vulnerability). The subscales and total scale have excellent reliability (alpha = .824-.934). Additional testing is needed to examine the application of the scale beyond states passing restrictive immigration policies.