A report published Aug. 26 by the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) shows that an overwhelming majority of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients fear losing future access to health care services and many are experiencing worsening health due to concerns about their immigration status.
Concerns about access to health care likely stem from uncertainty around DACA’s future, as well as the President Donald Trump administration ending the Biden-era policy allowing DACA recipients to purchase health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A new Trump administration rule ending the Biden policy – which was a hard fought victory after years of advocacy – went into effect this week.
“All of us should be able to access affordable and reliable health care. Full stop,” said Isobel Mohyeddin, policy associate at the NILC. “After years of data showing DACA recipients are disproportionately uninsured, this year’s report shows that the uncertainty around DACA and narrowing options for recipients to access care have reverberating effects on both their physical and mental health. We demand the Trump administration to reverse its cruel and unnecessary ACA eligibility rule, and Congress must work to repeal health care restrictions for immigrants.”
This is the fourth annual report by NILC tracking DACA recipients’ access to health care. The report analyzes findings from a 2024 survey of 433 DACA recipients administered by professor Tom K. Wong of the University of California, San Diego; United We Dream; the NILC; and the Center for American Progress.
Top line findings include:
● Ninety-two percent of respondents who say that without DACA, it will be harder to access services to keep themselves and their families healthy
● One third of respondents experiencing worsened mental or physical health related to concerns over their immigration status
● Forty-three percent of respondents skipping a recommended medical test or treatment because of the cost, while 45% reported skipping a recommended dental test or treatment for the same reason
● Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported taking on debt to cover the costs of a medical procedure
NILC formally opposed the Trump administration’s rule ending DACA recipients’ access to ACA coverage, and urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse it. NILC also calls on Congress to repeal health care restrictions for immigrants passed in the latest federal budget bill and has long called for Congress to pass the Dream and Promise Act, which would provide the certainty and stability that DACA recipients need to truly achieve healthy lives.