Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom presents his revised 2025-2026 state finances throughout a information convention in Sacramento, Calif., Wednesday, Might 14, 2025.
Wealthy Pedroncelli / AP
conceal caption
toggle caption
Wealthy Pedroncelli / AP
Democratic governors in states providing medical insurance protection for immigrants with out authorized standing are proposing to roll again protection that they signed into regulation.
As states grapple with finances holes, efforts to restrict entry to the applications have gotten a typical thread. Debates about rolling again protection or eliminating it totally come as Congress considers a proposal that might scale back state Medicaid funds from 90% to 80% if they provide medical insurance protection to immigrants with out correct authorization.
California
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced that he needs to freeze new enrollments for unauthorized folks 19 or older on Medi-Cal, California’s insurance coverage plan for lower-income folks, and cost a $100 month-to-month premium beginning in January 2026. There can be exceptions for pregnant folks and emergency care.
“I do not need to be on this place, however we’re on this place,” Newsom mentioned.
California expanded Medi-Cal to incorporate all adults with out authorized standing in 2024, and 1.6 million immigrants in California at present obtain medical insurance by means of this system. Underneath the proposal, these already enrolled by 12 months’s finish would nonetheless be eligible for protection, however different adults with out authorized standing could not enroll.
Republicans, who had been towards this system’s enlargement from the beginning, have criticized Newsom for persevering with to spend on protection beneath his newest proposal.
“The governor confirmed his priorities,” mentioned California Meeting Minority Chief James Gallagher, a Republican. “He needs to proceed to spend on well being look after unlawful immigrants. Billions and billions of {dollars}.”
The Democratic governor additionally faces pushback from state lawmakers in his personal celebration, together with members of the Latino Caucus within the Legislature, who say they’re going to struggle to keep up some type of protection for these with out authorized standing through the remaining month of finances negotiations.
“We will have a look at choices for finances cuts elsewhere,” mentioned Democratic state senator Lena Gonzalez, who chairs the Legislative Latino Caucus. “We is usually a little bit extra conscious of how we do that with out at all times having to take a look at our most underserved communities.”
Specialists, lawmakers, and Newsom level out that the state pays for protection both manner. These with out medical insurance usually search care in emergency rooms, so some lawmakers and advocates initially pushed for increasing entry so folks may have common care, like physician’s visits and prescription medicines.
In states the place lawmakers granted Medicaid entry for undocumented immigrants, hospital directors and religion teams, together with immigrant advocates, have helped push for the enlargement of advantages.
Minnesota
That is true in Minnesota, the place the proposal to strip the state’s medical insurance protection for adults within the nation with out authorization emerged as a part of a compromise finances framework.
That drew rapid opposition from some Democrats and immigrant advocates.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks at a city corridor assembly on the DeYor Performing Arts Heart on April 7, 2025, in Youngstown, Ohio.
Jeff Swensen/Getty Photographs North America
conceal caption
toggle caption
Jeff Swensen/Getty Photographs North America
Thursday, a bunch of Democratic lawmakers banged on the door to the room the place Gov. Tim Walz, a former vice presidential candidate, was laying out his finances plan with legislative leaders.
They yelled out, “You are killing our communities,” and mentioned they’d vote towards the supply to make grownup immigrants with out authorized standing ineligible for MinnesotaCare, the state’s Medicaid program, in 2026. Underneath the proposed finances, youngsters would nonetheless be eligible for protection.
In 2023, Democrats handed a invoice granting all folks within the nation with out authorized standing entry to state-funded well being protection and Walz signed it. This system took impact in January, and greater than 20,000 folks with out authorized standing have enrolled, together with about 3,000 youngsters.
Walz and Democratic legislative leaders mentioned they opposed the change however needed to settle for it as a part of a finances framework. The state Legislature is sort of cut up, with 101 Democrats and 100 Republicans, in order that they mentioned they wanted to simply accept the proposal that was a precedence for GOP lawmakers.
“I am not going to sugarcoat how troublesome this was,” Walz mentioned as lawmakers pounded on the door outdoors his information convention. “We did not count on everyone to be glad on this; I believe many people compromised.”
State Home Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican, agreed that it was a compromise that might assist plug a projected $6 billion finances deficit over the following 4 years.
“It isn’t a measure of being uncaring. It is a fiscal challenge, and there are nonetheless alternatives,” Demuth mentioned. “They’ll nonetheless be part of the non-public market, so it is not that well being care is being denied in any manner,” she added. “We needed to make arduous choices in that room, and once we checked out numbers and we seemed going ahead, this was a compromise that we had been all in a position to come to any negotiation. Nobody walks out utterly glad.”
Some Democratic lawmakers who fought for this system say they’re going to oppose the rollback. With out their votes, the measure in a broader well being finances invoice may stall.
“Though we protected the youngsters, which is a really noble factor to do, these youngsters will lose mothers, dads, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, siblings,” mentioned Rep. Cedrick Frazier, a co-chair of the Minnesota Folks of Colour and Indigenous Caucus. “That’s what we’re confronted right here with right now.”
If Minnesota lawmakers cannot move a finances earlier than July 1, they might face a state authorities shutdown.
