Undocumented status: implications for child development, policy, and ethical research.

Nearly 5.5 million children in the United States grow up in the shadows of undocumented status. We review the ecological domains of influence in children's and adolescents' lives and briefly consider health, cognitive, socioemotional, educational, and labor market outcomes ripe for study. We also reflect upon the ethical policy implications of this growing demographic group and consider research strategies in conducting ethical research with this population.