UMVA has learned that a recent law aimed at restricting Medicaid access to non-citizens has created a chilling effect on immigrant families seeking healthcare in Louisiana.
The law, passed in 2025, prioritizes American citizens and taxpayers over illegal immigrants, according to its supporters. However, state health officials clarify that Medicaid applicants cannot be reported to ICE without a formal investigation request by "the appropriate authorities."
Despite these assurances, immigrant rights advocates argue that the law has led to a significant decline in Medicaid applications and has resulted in immigrant families losing access to vital healthcare and resources.
Advocates claim that the law compounds the fear created by immigration enforcement crackdowns in states like Louisiana and Minnesota, as well as federal policy changes, such as a data-sharing agreement between ICE and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Aaron Moseley-Saldívar, a legal and public policy adviser, believes that the legislative and policy changes act as a deterrent to immigrant families, even if they qualify for Medicaid as a legal resident, refugee, or asylum seeker.
"People are not applying for things that they probably otherwise would be eligible for, because they are intimidated by these laws and they're worried that they're going to get caught up in the system," Moseley-Saldívar said.
The Louisiana Department of Health's first annual update on the new law reveals that 87% of enrollees with unverified immigration or citizenship status had their coverage terminated by February of this year.
Statistics show that from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, only 1% of the 1.6 million people in Louisiana enrolled in Medicaid weren't citizens, and fewer than 4,000 had an unclear immigration status.
Romero, a advocate for immigrant families, warns that all children from mixed-status families in Louisiana are likely to be denied Medicaid by the end of the year, exacerbating the existing healthcare crisis.
A recent health fair organized by the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants drew over 600 people, who lined up at 4 a.m. to receive free health checkups, highlighting the demand for accessible healthcare.
However, Romero notes that some families in the New Orleans area have been waiting six months to vaccinate their children at one of the free events put on by healthcare providers, and even fewer events are scheduled for adults.
The situation has become a "double-edged sword," with people avoiding doctors out of fear, but also ending up in emergency situations that are too hard to treat, Romero said.
For families with no other option, advocates try to connect people to doctors sympathetic to the immigrants' plight and willing to absorb the cost of care or offer a discount.
However, this does not address the systemic problems of immigrant access to healthcare created by the state law and federal immigration policies, or the lower quality of care for those who seek it.
Yolibeth, a mother, secured a free insurance plan for her kids on the Louisiana Affordable Care Act marketplace, but she hasn't found any doctors who will accept the coverage, leaving them effectively uninsured.
The situation has led to impossible choices, such as sending her sick son to school without a doctor's note, potentially exposing other children to a virus, and risking truancy charges and family separation.
Romero emphasizes that this is a "life-or-death situation" and that something needs to be done to address the healthcare crisis faced by immigrant families.
