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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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  • Nearly 20 Million Children Live in Immigrant Families that Could Be Affected by Evolving Immigration Policies

    Issue Brief

    President Trump has intensified national debate about immigration by implementing policies to enhance immigration enforcement and restrict legal immigration. Recent findings show that the climate surrounding these policies has significantly increased fear and uncertainty among immigrant families, broadly affecting families across different immigration statuses and locations. The effects extend to lawfully present immigrants, including lawful permanent residents or “green card” holders, and children in immigrant families, who are predominantly U.S.-born citizens. In particular, findings point to both short- and long-term negative consequences on the health and well-being of children in immigrant families.
    Potential changes to public charge policies intended to reduce use of public programs by immigrant families, including their citizen children, could further increase strains on immigrant families and lead to losses in health coverage. To provide insight into the scope of potential impacts of continually evolving immigration policy on children, this data note provides nationwide and state-level estimates (Table 1) of citizen children living in immigrant families and the number currently covered by Medicaid/CHIP coverage.

  • Hurricane Harvey: The Experiences of Immigrants Living in the Texas Gulf Coast

    Report

    In order to better understand the particular needs of immigrants both in recovering from and preparing for future storms, this analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation highlights the views and experiences of foreign-born residents who were living in 24 coastal Texas counties hard-hit by Hurricane Harvey. Specifically, the brief explores the financial circumstances of immigrants following the storm, as well as their health care access, social support, and top priorities for rebuilding and recovery efforts in their area.

  • Vivir en una Familia de Inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos: Cómo el Miedo y el Estrés Tóxico Están Afectando la Vida Diaria, el Bienestar y la Salud

    Issue Brief

    Este informe examina las experiencias de los padres y hijos de inmigrantes, incluidos los inmigrantes indocumentados y aquellos legalmente presentes, con las nuevas restricciones de inmigración y el aumento de las leyes de inmigración siendo perseguidos por la Administración de Trump que están reformando la política de inmigración del EE.UU.. Realizamos grupos focales con 100 padres de 15 países y 13 entrevistas con pediatras para obtener una idea de cómo el ambiente actual está afectando la vida diaria, el bienestar y la salud de las familias inmigrantes, incluidos sus hijos.

  • Living in an Immigrant Family in America: How Fear and Toxic Stress are Affecting Daily Life, Well-Being, & Health

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines the experiences of immigrant parents and children, including immigrants who are undocumented and those lawfully present, with the new restrictions on immigration and increased immigration enforcement being pursued by the Trump Administration that are reshaping U.S. immigration policy. Findings are based on focus groups in eight cities and four states with 100 parents in immigrant families from 15 countries, as well as telephone interviews with 13 pediatricians who serve immigrant communities.

  • Survey: Three Months after Hurricane Harvey, Nearly Half of Affected Texas Residents Say They are Not Getting the Help They Need to Recover

    News Release

    KFF/EHF Survey Examines Residents’ Experiences and Views in 24 Hard-Hit Counties across Texas Two-thirds (66%) of residents across 24 Texas counties report that they suffered property damage, employment disruptions and/or lost income due to Hurricane Harvey, finds a new Kaiser Family Foundation/Episcopal Health Foundation survey.

  • An Early Assessment of Hurricane Harvey’s Impact on Vulnerable Texans in the Gulf Coast Region: Their Voices and Priorities to Inform Rebuilding Efforts

    Report

    To understand the needs and circumstances of vulnerable Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation partnered to conduct a survey of adults in 24 coastal Texas counties hard-hit by the storm, along with 5 focus groups in Houston and Beaumont. The survey finds residents’ top needs in recovering from the disaster focus on housing and financial issues, while some also struggle with access to health care and mental health issues resulting from the storm. Black and Hispanic residents and those with lower incomes are more likely to report being affected by Harvey-related property damage and employment issues. The survey also probes residents’ views on the local, state, and federal governments’ response to the storm, as well as the priorities they see for the rebuilding moving forward.

  • Kaiser Family Foundation/CNN Working-Class Whites Poll

    Report

    The latest Kaiser Family Foundation/CNN partnership poll explores the views and experiences of white Americans without college degrees (a group defined in this survey as “working-class whites”), including how they feel about their own lives and the direction of the country, their attitudes towards government, their economic priorities, feelings about immigration and increasing racial and ethnic diversity, and personal experiences with employment and finances.