Achieving Reproductive Justice for Immigrants Through the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act and the LIFT the BAR Act
By Gabrielle Chiodo,
For decades, the United States has enacted policies that have prevented immigrants, regardless of their documentation status, from accessing quality health care, including abortion and other essential reproductive health services. The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 prevented green card holders from accessing Medicaid, CHIP, and other public benefits for five years. Other immigrants, such as Temporary Protected Status holders and DACA recipients, as well as undocumented immigrants, were almost entirely barred from coverage. Until this year, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) continued restrictions by excluding undocumented immigrants from purchasing health plans on the marketplace.