Headline Roundup • May 15th, 2025
Newsom Calls for California to Stop Offering Free Healthcare to Unauthorized Immigrants
Summary from the AllSides News Team
California Governor Gavin Newsom has called for the state to stop enrolling new unauthorized immigrants over the age of 19 in its free state healthcare prograim.
The Details: Under the proposal, unauthorized immigrant adults would not be eligible to enroll in California's Medicaid program, which covers about 15 million people, including 1.6 million unauthorized immigrants. The proposed freeze, which would need to clear the California legislature and would take effect in 2026. It would not remove those already enrolled, though they would be charged an additional $100 a month beginning in 2027.
Key Quote: A statement from Newsom's office said he "refuses to turn his back on hardworking Californians, especially when it comes to their basic health care needs." It added, "But because of the $16 billion Trump Slump and higher-than-expected health care utilization, the state must take difficult but necessary steps to ensure fiscal stability and preserve the long-term viability of Medi-Cal for all Californians."
For Context: The announcement was part of Newsom's budget presentation on Wednesday, where he announced that the proposed changes would save the state, which is currently facing a $12 billion budget deficit, $6.5 billion by the 2028-2029 fiscal year. The move comes days after Congress advanced a budget proposal that would cut $3.5 billion in federal payments to California over its current migrant healthcare policy.
How the Media Covered It: Sources across the political spectrum noted that Newsom is at least partially blaming the proposed budgetary moves of President Donald Trump and federal efforts to eliminate benefits for unauthorized immigrants. In addition, the New York Times (Lean Left bias) reported that Newsom blamed California's budget shortfall partly on a "projected drop in tax revenue" resulting from Trump's tariffs, calling it a "Trump Slump."
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Andri Tambunan for The New York Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for California to scale back health care coverage for undocumented immigrants to help balance the state budget, retrenching on his desire to deliver “universal health care for all.”
The move came two days after the Trump administration targeted a different state-funded program for immigrants in California and signaled that it would continue to scrutinize benefits for undocumented individuals.
In a budget presentation on Wednesday, Mr. Newsom proposed freezing the enrollment of undocumented adults in the state’s version of Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal, as soon as January....
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is proposing freezing undocumented adult enrollment in full-scope Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, a fact sheet the governor's office provided to Fox News Digital indicates.
The document notes that the proposed freeze would take effect "no sooner than January 1, 2026," and would apply "to new adult applicants over age 19." People would not "be kicked off their health care," according to the document.
It also notes that the Golden State governor is proposing a $100 per month premium for Medi-Cal enrollees 19 and up with...
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced a budget proposal to scale back a free healthcare program for low-income undocumented migrants, warning the state must brace for an expected $16 billion dent in state revenues from President Donald Trump's tariffs.
The change formed part of Newsom's budget presentation released on Wednesday. The governor's office projected that sharply lower revenues after Trump's tariffs would require the state "to take corrective action that balances fiscal responsibility while preserving core tenets of key investments."
Trump's administration has targeted immigrant-friendly policies in Democratic-dominated states,...
