Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detain a man on a street during a federal immigration operation, in Indio, California, U.S. December 18, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A high-stakes nightmare has unfolded in California, where a once-simple pitch of free health insurance has morphed into a dark choice for undocumented immigrants.
A year ago, outreach workers enthusiastically signed up undocumented immigrants for Medi-Cal, the state’s health insurance program, across the Golden State. But since then, everything has changed, with those very same workers racing against the clock to beat an enrollment freeze that kicked in on New Year's Day.
And a looming threat lurks in the shadows, Politico reported Thursday.
The Trump administration wants federal immigration agents to weaponize patient data to hunt down and deport migrants. When it came to light this summer that some data had been shared, California sued and won a temporary ban. But Trump officials have vowed to resume grabbing such data as soon as possible. Adding to the situation, a federal judge signaled last month he may let them do just that.
Immigrants in the state now face a brutal choice: risk deportation to get free medical care, or go without medication, prenatal care, and treatment.
Complicating things further, Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration slapped $30 monthly premiums on existing undocumented enrollees starting in 2027, after the program's $3 billion budget blowout. That could lead to up to 1.5 million people losing coverage over the next four years.
Health workers are now delivering a grim message: "These are your rights, and these are the risks." Some undocumented immigrants have moved to avoid their registered addresses while others, terrified of the Trump administration's looming "public charge" rule, are refusing care for themselves and their children.