The proposed 2026-27 budget released last week includes a plan to shift lawfully present immigrants off of full-scope Medi-Cal, rolling back years of precedent Sacramento, CA – Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his proposed 2026-2027 state budget, which included a huge blow to immigrant populations who currently have access to Medi-Cal. Leaders of California’s […] The post Leaders of the Health4All Coalition Speak Out on the Harmful Impacts on Immigrant Health Care in the Governor’s January Budget appeared first on Health Access.
The proposed 2026-27 budget released last week includes a plan to shift lawfully present immigrants off of full-scope Medi-Cal, rolling back years of precedent
Sacramento, CA – Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his proposed 2026-2027 state budget, which included a huge blow to immigrant populations who currently have access to Medi-Cal. Leaders of California’s #Health4All campaign pushed back on the state-specific harms to lawfully-present immigrants in the budget, while also calling for a restoration of all health care cuts to the undocumented population that hurt our communities and force more Californians to be uninsured.
“This budget uses the Trump Administration’s inhumane H.R. 1 cuts as justification for state-led policy changes that will result in hundreds of thousands of California immigrants losing access to comprehensive health care. This budget proposes cruel changes that abandon decades of precedent of providing full-scope Medi-Cal to refugees, asylees, and other lawfully present immigrants and unnecessarily impose work requirements for immigrants within the state’s Medi-Cal program. These changes would push hundreds of thousands of Californians off of care, leaving many to depend on emergency rooms as they and their families get sicker and are plunged deeper into debt. We must now decide if we want to continue down this path that further erodes our health care system in favor of Trump style health care cuts, or invest in a more compassionate and universal health care system that values all Californians.”
—Amanda McAllister-Wallner, Executive Director, Health Access California“The governor’s proposed budget is a huge setback for the progress we’ve made toward universal health care in California and does little to protect immigrant communities from the severe harms caused by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and congressional cuts to health care and and other vital programs enacted under the federal budget bill, H.R. 1. California was on a much stronger path toward health care for all in 2024, but recent budget decisions – including freezing Medi-Cal enrollment and proposing premiums – have already slowed that progress. This budget proposal would further push working immigrants, who are essential to California’s health care, food and caregiving systems, out of comprehensive coverage and into emergency-only care. We will continue to press the governor and the legislature to invest in essential programs that help keep immigrant families united, healthy and strong. We will continue to fight for full-scope health care for all Californians, regardless of immigration status and for a tax system that asks corporations and billionaires to finally pay their fair share.”
—Masih Fouladi, Executive Director, California Immigrant Policy Center“Governor Newsom’s 2026–27 budget represents a clear failure to shield Californians from the devastating health cuts of H.R. 1 and the broader federal assault on immigrant and low-income communities. The moment demands bold leadership, but instead the Governor is advancing further health care restrictions and barriers that will directly harm families who are already stretched to the breaking point. California cannot claim to lead on equity while refusing to restore Medi-Cal for All and fully protect the safety-net programs our communities depend on.”
—Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director, Latino Coalition for a Healthy California“Tearing survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking away from their doctors, medications, and mental health care is cruel by any standard. As California mounts the nation’s strongest defense against Trump’s cuts to health care and attacks on immigrants, Gov. Newsom’s proposal to reverse decades of state law and commitment to essential care for refugees, asylees, domestic violence survivors, and crime victims is also sickeningly hypocritical. As the wealthiest Californians reap the benefits of billions in Trump tax breaks, legislators must reject budget plans that rely on extracting dollars from the pockets of exhausted farm workers, or forcing fast food workers, and janitors to endure the pain and consequences of untreated dental disease. CPEHN will strongly advocate for the revenues needed to protect health care at risk for millions under HR1 and reverse last year’s state budget cuts that exclusively target immigrant communities to lose their health care.”
—Kiran Savage-Sangwan, Executive Director, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network“Health care shouldn’t depend on your passport or paperwork. Western Center on Law and Poverty condemns the Governor’s Budget Proposal that doubles down on Trump cuts, terminating Medi-Cal health coverage for approximately 200,000 immigrant Californians who have received Medi-Cal for decades, and imposing additional eligibility barriers to families who are still reeling from last year’s Medi-Cal budget cuts. We cannot allow California to use Trump’s policies to dismantle our safety net.”
—Linda Nguy, Associate Director of Policy Advocacy, Western Center on Law and Poverty“Governor Newsom’s budget once again balances California’s books on the backs of immigrant communities. By not restoring full Medi-Cal access for undocumented Californians, Governor Newsom is directly responsible for the delayed care, untreated chronic illness, and deeper inequities for families who already face systemic barriers. Immigrants are essential to California’s economy and public health, yet they are treated as expendable when budgets tighten. The Legislature must step up and fully restore last year’s cuts and reject any budget that leaves immigrant families behind.”
—Eddie Torres, Policy Director, Inland Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Background
The Governor’s 2026-27 budget turns back decades of state precedent that has allowed lawfully residing immigrants that are not eligible for federal programs to access full-scope Medi-Cal. As more of these Californians must look to state-provided coverage in the face of the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant communities, the proposed budget would leave hundreds of thousands of Californians with no other option than “restricted scope” Medi-Cal, which is little more than bare minimum emergency coverage.
Under “restricted scope” Medi-Cal:
- Someone with cancer goes undiagnosed and untreated
- A child having an asthma attack would be stabilized in an ER, but not given an inhaler
- A person with diabetes would only receive treatment during a coma, not given the insulin they need to survive.
- These Californians are then subjected to huge medical bills that only drive them further into debt, and prevent them from seeking life-saving care.
The proposed budget also subjects immigrant populations to state-based work reporting requirements, despite this not being required by H.R. 1 or any other federal law. It will be nearly impossible for many covered immigrants to document their compliance given other federal employment laws.
The budget also continues the cuts to immigrants from 2025-2026:
- A freeze on Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented Californians which began January 1, 2026
- Elimination of dental coverage for all UIS Californians on July 1, 202
- Implementation of a $30 per month premium for all UIS Californians starting July 1, 2027
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The #Health4All Campaign began in 2013 when immigrant rights activists, health care advocates, and community members came together to call for expanding health care to all Californians, regardless of immigration status. Since then, the campaign has been able to remove unjust barriers to Medi-Cal eligibility and has fought to include over 1 million Californians into the program.
The post Leaders of the Health4All Coalition Speak Out on the Harmful Impacts on Immigrant Health Care in the Governor’s January Budget appeared first on Health Access.
