{"id":35429,"date":"2025-07-03T13:47:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35429\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T13:47:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T13:47:12","slug":"ca-latino-legislators-agonized-over-slashing-immigrant-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35429\/","title":{"rendered":"CA Latino legislators agonized over slashing immigrant health care"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kristen Hwang<\/a>, CalMatters<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\""A\"
\n\t\t\t\tLeft to right clockwise, State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, Sen. Lena Gonzalez, Assemblymember Sade Elhawary\u00a0and Sen. Maria Elena Durazo. They were the Latino Caucus members who voted against the Medi-Cal cuts or abstained. Photos by Fred Greaves for CalMatters<\/p>\n

This story was originally published by CalMatters<\/a>. Sign up<\/a> for their newsletters.<\/p>\n

Moments before an important budget vote last week, state Sen. Mar\u00eda Elena Durazo stood on the Senate floor and spoke passionately about the plight of immigrants\u2019 health care in California. She lambasted the Legislature\u2019s choice to freeze Medi-Cal enrollment for immigrants without legal status and charge monthly premiums.<\/p>\n

The Senate\u2019s budget negotiations and headlines had long since turned toward a different crisis \u2014 housing reform<\/a> \u2014 but Durazo stayed firm.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Durazo said she was joyful when the state opened Medi-Cal to all low-income residents regardless of immigration status just a year and a half ago. Now \u201cthat joy has turned into pain, that joy has turned into shame, and that joy has turned into betrayal,\u201d Durazo told her colleagues on the Senate floor.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Democrat from Los Angeles issued a clarion call to the public and to her colleagues: \u201cRemember today’s date and what the Senate is doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Durazo\u2019s stand and subsequent vote against the Medi-Cal cuts<\/a> stood out among a sea of Democratic yes votes. She was joined in opposition by three other members of the state Latino Caucus who voted against or abstained from the measure.<\/p>\n

For more than a decade, the 35-member Latino Caucus has championed the expansion of Medi-Cal to immigrants, passing the baton from each new class of lawmakers to another. No one has been more outspoken about the proposed cuts than its members, Democrats who self-identify as Latino or Hispanic, many of whom spent the past month joining rallies on the steps of the Capitol and fiercely debating the impacts.<\/p>\n

But the state\u2019s $12 billion deficit put the Latino Caucus in a bind, forcing them and their party to make difficult decisions about walking back health care during a year when the state has too little revenue and too many expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many legislators in the caucus say that California is cruelly balancing its budget on the backs of poor immigrants. They\u2019ve argued that California is creating a state-sanctioned, two-tiered health system where some residents are considered \u201cless than.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet, despite some misgivings, the emotional nature of the cuts and the fervor of the rhetoric, nearly all of the caucus \u2014 30 members \u2014 voted to approve them within the larger health care budget package.<\/p>\n

Under the agreement finalized last week<\/a> by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom, in six months, California will freeze new enrollment of adult immigrants who do not have legal status in Medi-Cal, the state\u2019s health insurance program for low-income residents. In one year, non-citizens 19 and older will lose dental benefits, and in two years, most of the adults must pay a $30 monthly premium. Combined, these changes are projected to save California about $1 billion in their initial implementation years, growing to more than $4.3 billion ongoing.<\/p>\n

The Latino Caucus, whose members make up 36% of Democratic Assemblymembers and 43% of senators, is one of the most powerful political blocs in California. The caucus historically carried bills to support immigrants without legal status through changes in health care, labor and education.<\/a><\/p>\n

The decision to cut medical benefits for immigrants was an agonizing one for the Latino legislators as they\u2019ve watched the Trump administration wage an aggressive deportation campaign against immigrants<\/a> in Southern California and the Central Valley, calling them criminals and reportedly rounding them up at job sites, bus stops and their homes. More than 75% of unauthorized immigrants in California are from Mexico and Central America, according to a 2019 analysis from the Migration Policy Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThere are so many members who share my feelings about needing to maintain health care for all, while also ensuring we\u2019re fighting for everything else on the budget we voted on.”<\/p>\n

ASSEMBLYMEMBER CELESTE RODRIGUEZ, DEMOCRAT FROM ARLETA<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The lawmakers wrestled with the bleak necessity of Medi-Cal cuts after multiple years of deficits. Some say the programs that they were able to save in the budget, such as home care for immigrants and other Medi-Cal enrollees, are worth defending even if the other cuts are painful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many members who share my feelings about needing to maintain health care for all, while also ensuring we\u2019re fighting for everything else on the budget we voted on,\u201d Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez, a Democrat from Arleta who voted for the Medi-Cal cuts, said in an interview with CalMatters before the final budget was approved.<\/p>\n

Sen. Caroline Menjivar, a Democrat from Van Nuys who joined Durazo in voting against the Medi-Cal changes, has consistently opposed cutting benefits for immigrants. \u201cOur actions have consequences and those consequences will cause people to lose health insurance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her outspoken opposition apparently landed her in hot water with some in the party leadership. Last month, her office said Menjivar was removed from a key budget subcommittee because she opposed the Medi-Cal cuts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Menjivar said she can\u2019t support policies that single out a specific demographic. \u201cIt\u2019s the \u2018othering,\u2019 where we\u2019ve created a hierarchy of what human is eligible and what human is ineligible,\u201d that she can\u2019t stomach, she said.<\/p>\n

For Durazo, \u201cit\u2019s the specific targeting of immigrants. That\u2019s the problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

\""A\"Lawmakers at the first Senate floor session of the year at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 6, 2025. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters<\/p>\n

Health advocates rallied against the cuts for weeks and pressured lawmakers to walk back even deeper cuts proposed by Newsom. <\/strong>A coalition of groups representing health advocates, immigrant rights groups and labor lined the sidewalks on a recent day as lawmakers walked into the building to vote on an earlier version of the budget that mirrors some of the final provisions. Their chant of \u201chealth for all\u201d has been a rallying cry for the expansion since 2013.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t say we believe in universal health care\u2026and say we\u2019re going to make exceptions for this one population,\u201d said Mar Velez, director of policy for the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California.<\/p>\n

\n

Undocumented immigrants “not only pay nearly $8.5 billion in taxes in California, they build businesses, and raise the next generation of lawyers, doctors, and elected officials… They too, deserve to be treated with dignity by ensuring their health is prioritized.\u201d<\/p>\n

SEN. LENA GONZALEZ, DEMOCRAT FROM LONG BEACH <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Caucus chair Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Long Beach Democrat who abstained from voting on the Medi-Cal cuts, told CalMatters that her \u201cconscience couldn\u2019t bear freezing Medi-Cal benefits for hard working immigrants\u201d especially in the face of immigration enforcement raids throughout Southern California. Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, a Democrat and Latino Caucus member from Los Angeles, also abstained, along with Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas from Los Angeles, who is not a Caucus member.<\/p>\n

Gonzalez said the cuts represent a \u201chuge setback\u201d for Californians struggling with affordability, especially when immigrants are \u201cat the core of our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Undocumented immigrants “not only pay nearly $8.5 billion in taxes here in California<\/a>, they build businesses, and raise the next generation of lawyers, doctors, and elected officials, just like the members of this California Latino Legislative Caucus,\u201d Gonzalez said in a statement. \u201cThey too, deserve to be treated with dignity by ensuring their health is prioritized.\u201d<\/p>\n

During emotional debates, some legislators who voted in favor of the cuts characterized them as a best-case scenario that prevents anyone from getting kicked off of Medi-Cal, while others said many people will lose coverage as they struggle to make payments and drop off the rolls.<\/p>\n

Some of the compromises worked into the budget include provisions to delay the cuts and try to prevent current enrollees from losing coverage. Under the new law, the freeze includes a three-month grace period for re-enrollment should someone fall off of Medi-Cal because of paperwork errors or temporary income increases. Youths who are already enrolled in Medi-Cal will not \u201cage out\u201d once they turn 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The monthly premium and cut to dental benefits apply to non-citizens, including some with legal status like visa or green card holders, but only adults aged 19 to 59 will be required to pay the premium while all adults will lose dental.<\/p>\n

Few other options to cut the deficit as Medi-Cal costs surge<\/strong><\/p>\n

The state spends more than $190 billion a year on the entire Medi-Cal program, about 60% of which comes from federal funds. About $12 billion of state-only revenue pays for immigrant health care.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers have been grappling with funding the state\u2019s Medi-Cal program, which insures 15 million Californians, for months. Earlier this year, legislators injected billions of emergency dollars into Medi-Cal<\/a> to keep it solvent.<\/p>\n

Rising health care costs and increased senior enrollment fueled a majority of the $6.2 billion shortfall. But finance officials indicated that about $2.7 billion resulted from higher spending on immigrant health care, which the state pays for without federal assistance.<\/p>\n

Paired with the deficit Democrats had few options to balance the budget.<\/p>\n

Elana Ross, a spokesperson for Newsom, defended the budget as one that preserves the state\u2019s \u201ccommitment to immigrant communities.\u201d In a statement, she blamed the increasing cost of health care, more people enrolling and President Donald Trump\u2019s economic policies, including tariffs, for causing the state\u2019s projected revenues to decrease by about $16 billion.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause of these outside factors, the state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians,\u201d Ross said.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cThis is not about whether you support or oppose immigrants. We are a nation of immigrants. We value that. But I think a lot of Californians have concerns about prioritizing non-citizens with scarce taxpayer resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

ASSEMBLYMEMBER CARL DEMAIO, REPUBLICAN FROM SAN DIEGO <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The move to cut immigrant benefits and bail out Medi-Cal earlier in the year gave political leverage to the state\u2019s Republican lawmakers, most of whom have opposed the expansion for years. Ahead of the budget vote, many Republicans criticized the state for irresponsibly expanding a program that was already stretched thin and is frequently plagued by long wait times, lack of specialists and other access challenges.<\/p>\n

All Republican legislators voted against the Medi-Cal bill and every budget bill despite their criticisms of Medi-Cal expansion, citing other fiscal concerns with the Democrats’ budget deal.<\/p>\n

The state simply can\u2019t afford the program for immigrants, said Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio<\/a> of San Diego, one of the most outspoken critics of the expansion, last week during the budget vote. <\/p>\n

\u201cLet’s be very clear. This is not about whether you support or oppose immigrants. We are a nation of immigrants. We value that,\u201d DeMaio said on the Assembly floor. \u201cBut I think a lot of Californians have concerns about prioritizing non-citizens with scarce taxpayer resources, at the same time that we’re cutting services for the neediest citizens in our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Voting for immigrant cuts with mixed emotions<\/strong><\/p>\n

Rodriguez, who voted yes on the cuts, said she was torn over the budget decisions because she feels responsible for protecting immigrants in her community. When she was younger, Rodriguez said she used Medi-Cal and knows the program is essential for many people in her district.<\/p>\n

She grew emotional during budget debates while speaking about the cuts, but told CalMatters her support ultimately hinged on recognizing that she and her colleagues fought successfully to save many safety net programs, including home care and reproductive health services. She said the deal to delay some of the Medi-Cal cuts is a partial win because it gives the Legislature time to contemplate additional revenue streams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, a doctor and Democrat from Fresno, voted no on a previous version of the budget that cut immigrant health but voted in favor of the final budget agreement.<\/p>\n

Arambula, who worked as an emergency room physician before becoming a lawmaker, said many of his past patients would come in with serious but preventable conditions related to diabetes or heart disease because they could not access primary care.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember their stories. I remember their faces,\u201d Arambula said in an interview before the final budget vote. \u201cI would see these patients in their last minutes of life, and knew that there was so much more that we could be doing in advance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arambula declined to comment on his yes vote.<\/p>\n

Looking toward the future of medical care<\/strong><\/p>\n

Velez said the fact that several Latino Caucus lawmakers voted no matters because without their voices, it telegraphs to constituents that everyone believes \u201cIt\u2019s OK to do this\u201d when many people oppose it. But in the end, there weren\u2019t enough votes to stop the cuts from happening and she said that will irrevocably damage the trust built over years between advocates, government officials and immigrants.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a crossroads where legislators, the governor and the state of California can put us back on the right track to make sure California is seen as a sentinel for protecting immigrants.”<\/p>\n

CARLOS ALARCON, CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER <\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Some lawmakers have floated the idea of requiring large employers whose employees primarily use Medi-Cal to contribute to the program though no details have emerged.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I have colleagues who are committed to ensuring health care is truly accessible to all,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cWe\u2019ll get back to a place where we can fulfill the commitment that was made.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Carlos Alarcon, a health policy analyst with the California Immigrant Policy Center, said now that the budget is final, it\u2019s time for the lawmakers who initially said they want to stop the cuts to \u201cput their money where their mouth is\u201d and find solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a crossroads where legislators, the governor and the state of California can put us back on the right track to make sure California is seen as a sentinel for protecting immigrants,\u201d Alarcon said.<\/p>\n

CalMatters\u2019 politics reporter Alexei Koseff contributed to this report.<\/p>\n

Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit\u00a0www.chcf.org<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on CalMatters<\/a> and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives<\/a> license.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Kristen Hwang, CalMatters Left to right clockwise, State Sen. Caroline Menjivar, Sen. Lena Gonzalez, Assemblymember Sade Elhawary\u00a0and…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35430,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[29191,1853,1854,210,1141,1142,409,18487,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-35429","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-care","8":"tag-california-budget","9":"tag-california-legislature","10":"tag-gavin-newsom","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-health-care","13":"tag-healthcare","14":"tag-immigration","15":"tag-medi-cal","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114789616329844141","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}