Monday, Nov. 18, 2024
Do all undocumented immigrants receive free healthcare?
In some states, undocumented immigrants have access to state-specific healthcare assistance programs for low-income individuals. These programs are generally subject to income requirements, or are specific to pregnant people or uninsured children.
Healthcare for migrants in detention, who are awaiting processing and face possible deportation, is administered and funded by the ICE Health Service Corps, comparable to taxpayer-funded healthcare for incarcerated Americans.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service Immigrants’ Access to Health Care
- PubMed Central (PMC) The Undocumented Elderly: Coverage Gaps and Low Health Care Use
- National Immigration Forum Fact Sheet: Undocumented Immigrants and Federal Health Care Benefits
- HealthCare.gov Health coverage for immigrants
- KFF Key Facts on Health Coverage of Immigrants
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE Health Service Corps
- US Department of Homeland Security Healthcare Costs for Noncitizens in Detention
About fact briefs
Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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