Trauma patients with precarious legal status face significantly higher mortality and resource use, affecting surgical decision-making.

• Mortality: 2.6% in precarious legal status patients vs. 1.6% in U.S. residents (p = .013).
• Hospital stays are longer: 9.6 days vs. 6.4 days for U.S. residents (p < .001).

Surgeons should consider these disparities when evaluating care plans and post-discharge support for vulnerable patients.

• Precarious legal status patients tend to be predominantly Hispanic/Latino (83.9%) and often self-pay (26.8%).