Deportation by Proxy: How Medicaid Data Is Becoming a Tool of Enforcement The recent trend of Republican led states requiring their public health agencies to flag recipients of Medicaid who are suspected of being in the country without legal status is a disturbing development that highlights the entanglement of immigration policy with healthcare.
Proponents claim these laws aim to combat Medicaid fraud and abuse, but critics argue they will have a chilling effect on immigrants seeking healthcare, potentially harming U. S.
born children who depend on them for medical coverage. This trend is not surprising given the increasing politicization of immigration policy under the Trump administration.