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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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  • Potential Implications of Immigration Restrictions on the U.S. Agricultural Workforce

    Issue Brief

    Using data from the 2022 National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS), this issue brief examines key characteristics of agricultural workers, including their citizenship status, health coverage, and access to health care. The Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies may compound health challenges and risks this groups faces and have negative impacts on the cost and availability of food.

  • How States Verify Citizenship and Immigration Status in Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    This brief describes federal citizenship and immigration status eligibility and eligibility verification requirements for Medicaid. Eligibility for federally-funded coverage under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program is limited to U.S. citizens and certain lawfully present immigrants.

  • Potential Impacts of Increased Immigration Enforcement on School Attendance and Funding

    Issue Brief

    This brief presents research on the impacts of immigration enforcement on children, including school attendance and performance; provides data on the share and number of school-aged children by state who live in immigrant families based on KFF analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS); and discusses potential implications of declines in school enrollment and/or attendance among these children on school funding.

  • What Role Do Immigrants Play in The Direct Long-Term Care Workforce?

    Issue Brief

    To increase understanding of how shifting immigration policies may affect the direct care workforce providing long-term care services, this data note uses the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) to provide an overview of the role that immigrants play in the direct care workforce for long-term care (LTC) services

  • 5 Key Facts About Immigrants and Medicaid

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides five key facts on Medicaid and immigrants as context for understanding the potential impacts of policy changes under the Trump administration.

  • President Trump’s Recent Immigration Actions Could Affect Immigrant Families’ Health

    Quick Take

    President Trump has made a slew of immigration policy changes focused on restricting entry at the border and increasing interior enforcement efforts to support mass deportation…Previous KFF research provides a window into the likely health-related impacts of these actions. During the first Trump administration, restrictive immigration policies and increased enforcement activity led to increased fears among immigrant families across immigration statuses that had negative effects on health .

  • Title 42 and its Impact on Immigration and Migrant Families

    Issue Brief

    This brief provides an explanation of Title 42 and its application in border regions, the impact of Title 42 on border expulsions and the health and well-being of migrants during COVID-19, and a discussion of the potential implications of reinvoking Title 42 restrictions for immigration and the health of migrants.