California will have to stop paying for Covid tests and vaccines for immigrants

SACRAMENTO – During the day, and sometimes until late at night, buses and minibuses with undocumented immigrants arrive at three state medical posts on the southern border California with Mexico.

In health centers, coordinators said, immigrants receive masks to protect against the spread of infectious diseases, as well as water and food. Doctors are testing them for coronavirus, offering them vaccines, and isolating those who test positive for Covid.

Asylum seekers receive treatment for any injuries they may have suffered while traveling and are screened for chronic health problems such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

But liberal-minded California is now facing a projected $22.5 billion deficit. Gov. Gavin Newsom said California can no longer afford to run the centers.

In January, the Democratic Governor proposed to phase out some medical services in the coming months and eventually cut the migrant assistance program, unless President Joe Biden and Congress step in with help.

California Provides Health Care to More Than 300,000 Immigrants

California expanded the medical services of its migrant assistance program during the deadliest phase of the coronavirus pandemic two years ago.

The state has three health resource centers — two in San Diego County and one in Imperial County — that provide covid tests and vaccinations and other health screenings and serve more than 300,000 immigrants as of April 2021.

The Migrant Assistance Program also provides food, housing, and travel to connect them with sponsors, family, or friends in the United States. while they await their immigration hearings, and since 2019, the state has funded humanitarian efforts with more than $1 billion.

While the White House declined to comment and passed no federal legislation, Newsom said he is optimistic that federal funding will comeciting “some very positive conversations” with the Biden administration.

President Biden recently announced that the United States will return Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans who cross the border illegally from Mexico, a move aimed at curbing immigration. The U.S. Supreme Court is also considering ending the Trump-era policy known as Section 42, which the U.S. used to expel asylum seekers and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

A possible source of federal money has already been identified. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security told Kaiser Health News that local governments and non-governmental providers will soon be able to receive an additional $800 million in federal funding through the Shelters and Services Grants Program.

Some health care workers and immigrant activists want the state to keep going, but Newsom appears to have bipartisan state backing to scale back.

The Democratic governor promised more details during a budget review in May, before budget legislative negotiations begin. In addition, he noted that conditions have changed in such a way that testing and vaccination services have become less relevant.

Immigration officials did not respond to KHN questions about what medical examinations and other assistance migrants receive. It often takes one to three days before migrants can use buses or commercial flights. At the same time, they are accommodated in hotels and provided with food, clothing and other essentials under the state program.

According to the California Health and Human Services Agency, the state plans to phase out some medical support, but foster families are expected to continue “in the short term” and their future depends on the availability of federal funding.

Don Thompson

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is the news department of the KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation) that produces in-depth health journalism. It is one of the three main programs of KFF, a non-profit organization dedicated to the analysis of health and public health issues in the country.