Trump’s Relentless Attack on ACA Health Law Is Another Attack on Disenfranchised People

Oct 13, 2017

DACA Health Care Racial Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 13, 2017

CONTACT
Email: [email protected]
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149
Hayley Burgess, 202-384-1279

Trump’s Relentless Attack on ACA Health Law Is Another Attack on Disenfranchised People

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration over the past week announced several federal health policy changes that will undercut access to vital health services for millions of people, especially women, people with serious or long-term health conditions, and low- and middle-income families. The new policies will destabilize insurance markets and drive up premiums, making coverage less affordable for those with the greatest health needs.

The changes are the latest in a relentless, hyperpartisan effort by President Trump and conservative Republicans to undermine the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the 2010 health law that expanded access to affordable health coverage to 20 million previously uninsured Americans, including lawfully present immigrants. They come after several failed attempts by Republicans in Congress to garner enough support to repeal the law.

The Trump administration also suggested it would reject bipartisan efforts to stabilize the insurance markets unless Congress funds more of Trump’s anti-immigrant, white supremacist agenda, threating to hold hostage millions of people’s health care.

Matthew Lopas, health policy attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, issued the following statement:

“President Trump’s actions over this past week fall in line with a disgraceful pattern of reckless decision-making that willfully disenfranchises already vulnerable communities. These new policies threaten to throw our entire health system into chaos, and they will hurt women, people who are sick, and families with modest means the most. We should all be outraged by Trump’s uninhibited tendency to put political gain above the health and wellbeing of our country. Congress must do its job to stabilize the health system and prevent millions of people from losing their coverage, without caving to Trump’s ludicrous demands.”

###

The Latest
Language Access and Civil Rights: Analyzing the Impact of the Executive Order Claiming to Make English the Official National Language

Language Access and Civil Rights: Analyzing the Impact of the Executive Order Claiming to Make English the Official National Language

Joanna E. Cuevas Ingram and Ben D’Avanzo

Mar 24, 2025 On March 2, President Trump issued an executive order, “Designating English as the Official Language of the United States.” This commentary reviews preexisting law and policy regarding language access in the United States, how this...

Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Need to Know

Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Need to Know

Mar 13, 2025 This guide, created in partnership with us and Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), provides guidance to clinicians and hospital administrators on how to defend the rights of patients and providers if U.S. immigration enforcement comes to health...

New Guide Helps U.S. Health Professionals Protect Patients from Immigration Enforcement

New Guide Helps U.S. Health Professionals Protect Patients from Immigration Enforcement

Mar 13, 2025 “Health Care and U.S. Immigration Enforcement: What Providers Should Know” from Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) and the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) provides guidance to clinicians and hospital administrators on how to defend...

NILC Statement on Trump Proposal to Strip DACA Recipients’ Affordable Health Care Eligibility

NILC Statement on Trump Proposal to Strip DACA Recipients’ Affordable Health Care Eligibility

Mar 10, 2025 Kica Matos, president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), issued the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s proposed rule aiming to strip Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients’ Affordable...