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Immigrant Health

Key Facts

Rolling Back the BBB's Health Care Provisions Would Not Give Health Care to Undocumented Immigrants

In the ongoing government shutdown, Republicans claim that H.R.1, or the “Big Beautiful Bill”, will restrict health coverage for undocumented immigrants, and that a proposal from Democrats to reverse the cuts would expand coverage for those undocumented immigrants.

However, as KFF's Drishti Pillai explains in this Quick Take, the law's provisions related to limiting immigrant eligibility for Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and subsidized Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace coverage only affect lawfully present immigrants. Undocumented immigrants already are ineligible for federally-funded coverage under longstanding federal policy.

Recent Trump Administration Policies that Impact Health Coverage and Care for Immigrant Families

Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants

1.4M Lawfully Present Immigrants Will Lose Health Coverage Due to the 2025 Tax and Budget Law

Potential Impacts of 2025 Budget Reconciliation on Health Coverage for Immigrant Families

Immigration Enforcement and Health

Health Issues for Immigrants in Detention Centers

As of September 2025, the Trump administration held nearly 60,000 immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities. ICE is responsible for management of detention facilities, but it has a history of inadequate compliance with detention standards and insufficient health care.
Research shows that immigrants in detention experience widespread health risks. This issue brief summarizes recent trends in detention and the health care risks and challenges faced by people in such facilities.

Recent State Actions Impacting Immigrants’ Access to State-Funded Health Coverage

Policy Bars Many Immigrants from a Broad Range of Federal Health and Social Supports

Key Facts on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Potential Impacts of Mass Detention and Deportation Efforts on the Health and Well-Being of Immigrant Families

survey of immigrants

Health and Health Care Experiences of Immigrants: The 2023 KFF/LA Times Survey of Immigrants

A KFF-Los Angeles Times partnership survey of immigrant adults, released in September 2023, shows most feel they found a better life for their families in this country, but many also face economic hardships and discrimination.

This report, drawing upon the main survey findings, shows how these challenges extend to health care. Many immigrants have difficulty accessing and using health care in the U.S. due to higher uninsured rates, affordability challenges, linguistic and cultural barriers, and immigration-related fears. The survey also shows the difficulties immigrants face in obtaining health coverage and underscores the role of coverage in access to care.

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  • How Employer Actions Could Facilitate Equity in COVID-19 Vaccinations

    Policy Watch

    Providing paid time off to employees to get and recover from any side effects could help boost vaccination rates. Overall, nearly three in ten (28%) employed adults who not yet ready to get the vaccine say that they would be more likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine if their employer gave them paid time off to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects.

  • How are States Addressing Racial Equity in COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts?

    Issue Brief

    This brief reviews information available through state websites and publicly available vaccine distribution plans to provide greater insight into how states are addressing equity through vaccine allocation and distribution strategies, outreach and communications efforts, and data collection and reporting. It provides a snapshot and examples of state efforts in these areas.

  • Growing Gaps in COVID-19 Vaccinations among Hispanic People

    Policy Watch

    This policy watch piece highlights the potential challenges surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations among Hispanic people, whose health and finances have been extremely hard hit by the pandemic. Low rates of vaccination among Hispanic people would leave them at increased risk for the virus, could further widen existing health disparities, and would leave gaps that hinder our ability to achieve overall population immunity.

  • Get Ready for a Lot of Biden Executive Orders on Health Care

    Perspective

    In this column for the JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt explores what President-elect Biden might do to advance his health care vision both through legislation and through executive orders and waivers and demonstrations.

  • JAMA Forum: Trump vs Biden on Health Care

    Perspective

    In this September 2020 post for The JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt highlights differences in the records and policy plans of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on key health care issues.

  • Beyond the Numbers: Access to Reproductive Health Care for Low-Income Women in Five Communities

    Report

    This report summarizes the major findings from KFF and HMA case studies in five U.S. communities, highlighting cross-cutting themes and the degree to which low-income women in diverse communities face challenges in accessing reproductive and sexual health care, as well as promising initiatives established by community providers to address barriers and improve access to these basic services.

  • Addressing Health and Social Needs of California’s Immigrant Families: Lessons Learned from Local Responses and Future Priorities

    Event Date:
    Event

    A flurry of federal activity on immigration rules and policies is affecting health care and coverage for both lawfully residing immigrants and undocumented immigrants in the country, ranging from deportation policies, a revised “public charge” rule, and a new proclamation from President Trump requiring health insurance for entry via immigrant visas.