Health Cuts Hit Undocumented Immigrants in Democrat States \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ After years of progress, several Democrat-led states are cutting health care access for undocumented immigrants. As budgets tighten, thousands lose Medicaid-like coverage, forcing many back into fear and home remedies. Health experts warn the policy reversal could cost more in the long run.
Quick Looks
- Democrat-led states scale back health care for undocumented immigrants.
- Maria, an undocumented resident, had relied on her sister for care.
- Medi-Cal changed her life—now looming cuts threaten her stability.
- California, Illinois, and Minnesota cite budget shortfalls for rollbacks.
- Over 250,000 people could lose access to state Medicaid-like programs.
- Trump administration shares Medicaid recipient data with ICE.
- Providers report growing fear and falling appointment rates.
- Clinics brace for uninsured patients needing critical care.
- Free clinics warn: “People are going to die” due to delays.
- Minnesota, Illinois already ended or reduced immigrant health coverage.
Deep Look
For nearly two decades, Maria—an undocumented immigrant living in California—managed her chronic asthma without a doctor. Instead of seeing a physician, she relied on calls to her sister, a nurse in Mexico, and occasional trips to Tijuana for inhalers. Her husband, a diabetic, skipped regular care altogether. Neither could afford to see a doctor without insurance, and both lived in constant fear of deportation.
That changed last year when California opened up Medi-Cal, its state-run Medicaid program, to low-income immigrants regardless of legal status. Maria and her husband signed up the day the program became available.
“It changed everything,” Maria said in Spanish. “It was like going from the Earth to the sky. I stopped worrying all the time. That helped me stay healthier.”
But just as access to care improved for Maria and thousands like her, a reversal is now underway.
Faced with mounting budget deficits, Democrat-led states including California, Illinois, and Minnesota are scaling back or ending health coverage for undocumented immigrants. More than 250,000 people could ultimately lose benefits under the changes—some of the most significant pullbacks in immigrant health access in recent history.
While these programs were hailed as breakthroughs in equity and public health when launched—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic—they’ve proven costlier than expected. Now, with budget gaps ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, governors once celebrated for championing immigrant health care are making difficult cuts.
Coverage Expansions Reversed
In Illinois, where an estimated 31,500 undocumented immigrants aged 42–64 were covered under the Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults Program, the state ended the initiative on July 1, saving an estimated $404 million. Similarly, Minnesota will end coverage for 19,000 undocumented adults by the end of the year to save $57 million.
California, facing a $12 billion deficit this year and greater shortfalls ahead, will freeze new Medi-Cal enrollments for undocumented adults starting in 2026. Those already enrolled can stay—for now—but beginning in 2027, individuals under 60 will face a $30 monthly premium. Officials project this change will save more than $3 billion over several years.
Health providers and immigration advocates warn the real costs are yet to come.
“People are going to die. Some are already going untreated,” said Alicia Hardy, CEO of CommuniCARE+OLE clinics in California. “This isn’t just a financial decision—it’s a moral one.”
Clinics Feel the Strain
In Minnesota, the nonprofit HealthFinders Collaborative is rushing to schedule procedures and appointments for undocumented patients before the end-of-year cutoff. Many are being diagnosed with late-stage cancer, diabetes, or heart disease—conditions that will worsen without ongoing care.
In Chicago, CommunityHealth, one of the country’s largest free clinics, serves mostly Eastern European immigrants who lost their Illinois state coverage this summer. Many speak little English and lack transportation to get to clinics that accept uninsured patients.
Dr. Erik Mikaitis, CEO of Cook County Health, said his system treated about 8,000 immigrants last year under the state program, bringing in $111 million in revenue. Now, he worries about losing those funds—and the collapse of other providers that depended on the program. “Things can become unstable very quickly,” he warned.
Federal Policy Fuels Fear
Further complicating matters is a controversial move by the Trump administration, which this week released personal data of all Medicaid recipients—including names, addresses, and ethnicities—to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The administration says the move ensures program integrity. But immigrant communities and health providers say it’s having a “chilling effect.”
Twenty states—including California, Illinois, and Minnesota—have filed suit, arguing the data release violates patient privacy and will deter people from seeking essential care. Providers say patients are already canceling appointments, switching to virtual care, and even failing to pick up prescriptions for chronic conditions like hypertension or diabetes.
Maria, who requested her last name not be used due to fear of deportation, said she’s considering dropping her family’s coverage altogether.
“Every new bill is another burden,” she said. “Now we may have to choose between medication and food again. We’re going backward.”
Budget Tensions and Political Calculations
While immigrant advocates see betrayal in the policy reversals, state leaders insist the changes were necessary. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican, defended the move, saying, “It wasn’t about being non-compassionate. We simply didn’t have the dollars to sustain what was passed.”
Even some Democratic leaders now admit that state-run immigrant health care programs were financially unsustainable without federal backing. That support may shrink further under the recently signed federal budget bill, which includes a 10% cut in Medicaid expansion support for states that cover undocumented immigrants starting October 2027.
The Long-Term Cost of Cuts
Public hospitals are still obligated under federal law to provide emergency treatment, even to the uninsured or undocumented. But health experts stress that letting preventable diseases worsen until they reach critical stages is both costlier and deadlier.
“Denying access to primary and preventive care will push people into emergency rooms,” said Stephanie Willding, CEO of CommunityHealth. “It’s the most expensive way to treat chronic illness, and it’s completely avoidable.”
The decision by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to limit federally qualified health centers from treating undocumented individuals has added to the uncertainty. Providers say their ability to serve uninsured patients will shrink, just as demand spikes.
A Return to the Shadows
Maria still qualifies to stay on Medi-Cal for now—but she doesn’t know for how long. She’s started to think like she did before coverage: stockpiling medication, using home remedies, avoiding doctor visits unless absolutely necessary.
“It felt like we finally made it,” she said of getting Medi-Cal. “Now it feels like we’re being pushed back underground.”
For Maria and many others, the future of immigrant health care hangs in the balance—not just in policy documents or courtrooms, but in the daily, life-altering decisions made in clinic waiting rooms and kitchen tables across America.
Health Cuts Hit Health Cuts Hit Health Cuts Hit
You must Register or Login to post a comment.