Immigrant rights advocates rally for more state healthcare funding, criticize Newsom
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SACRAMENTO — Human rights advocates on Tuesday rallied outside the state Capitol to push back on Gov.Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget plan to reduce state-sponsored healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants.
“We are here to demand a budget that protects California’s values,” said Kiran Savage-Sangwan, executive director of California Pan-Ethnic Health Network.“We are fighting for a budget that rejects Medi-Cal cuts, seeks new revenues and strengthens our safety net reserve to keep families whole.”Newsom last week unveiled his revised budget proposal, which would further move away from his previous policy to provide free healthcare coverage to all low-income undocumented immigrants.
His proposal would require monthly premiums for undocumented immigrants receiving coverage from Medi-Cal, the state’s version of the federal Medicaid program.It would also continue to block new adult applications, a cutback imposed last year.
The governor has explained that his original policy was more costly than expected and that difficult decisions must be made as the state could soon face an economic downturn.Speakers at Tuesday’s rally argued this was unacceptable.The cuts would force many immigrants to choose between putting food on the table or visiting a doctor, said Savage-Sangwan.
She said certain groups, including refugees, older adults and those with disabilities, would be left especially vulnerable.“These are the kinds of actions we would expect from a federal government that scapegoats immigrants and sends violent ICE forces to terrorize our community,” she said.
“Instead, these proposals were made by our own governor in a state that claims to value immigrant communities.We know California is better than this.”The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the rally.The event drew about 100 attendees, including Anahi Araiza, a...