Using data from the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey (ACS), this brief examines the economic contributions of Latino immigrant labor in 10 U.S. states with the largest Latino immigrant populations. The analysis considers the potential economic implications if states were to lose a substantial share of this essential workforce due to intensified immigration-related policies.

Findings: Latino immigrants are essential to the U.S. labor force, representing 14.1 million workers nationwide. Latino immigrants in the U.S. and across the ten states with the largest Latino immigrant populations have higher labor force participation rates than the overall rates for the state’s population. Across the nation’s largest Latino immigrant states, the majority of Latino immigrant workers are not U.S. citizens. While the overall construction labor force increased in most states, the number of Latino immigrants in the construction industry grew at a much faster pace. Across both red and blue states, from Florida to California, Latino immigrants are essential to sustaining the nation’s agricultural production. Latino immigrants form the backbone of the nation’s service economy, filling essential roles in frontline, care, and hospitality occupations that keep industries and businesses running each day. 

Since 2016, California has expanded Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, to include all income-eligible residents, regardless of immigration status. The most recent 2024 expansion extended coverage to adults aged 26–49. However, anti-immigration federal policies and a proposed state-level freeze on Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented adults undermine these expansions. This study examines the association between citizenship/documentation status and health care use among adults ages 26–49 with incomes below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level, the eligibility threshold for Medi-Cal. It also explores differences in health care use between Latinos and non-Latinos. Using data from 2,384,944 adults in the 2018–2021 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the analyses employed multivariate logistic regression models with an interaction term between citizenship/documentation status and Medi-Cal enrollment to estimate utilization gaps.

Findings: Non-Green Card holders (non-GCH) with Medi-Cal had significantly higher odds of a doctor visit in the past year compared to citizens without Medi-Cal. Among Latinos, the interaction between Medi-Cal enrollment and non-GCH status was also statistically significant. These findings indicate that Medi-Cal may help undocumented individuals overcome barriers to accessing care, but federal and state policies undermine these advances.
 

Many Latino immigrants avoid public benefits because of fears about their immigration status or that of family members, which is heightened by anti-immigration rhetoric. This study used data from the Latino Youth Health Study and the 2021–2022 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) to examine decisions not to apply for noncash public benefits, such as Medicaid, food assistance, and housing subsidies, as well as safety perceptions among income-eligible Latino families in California. Authors also analyzed differences by parental citizenship and household language. 

Findings: Compared to families with two U.S. citizen parents, families with one or both noncitizen parents were more likely (by 38.4 and 46.7 percentage points, respectively) to avoid applying for benefits because of immigration-related concerns, and such families were also more likely to fear deportation for themselves or a family member or close friend. Spanish-only and bilingual households showed similar patterns. These findings underscore the need for accurate information on public benefit eligibility and immigration policies to ensure that immigrant families can access health care and resources to which they are legally entitled.

In this qualitative study, authors aim to examine how mis- and disinformation about the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility final rule ("public charge rule") influences health care access for Latino immigrants in California. Between May 2024 and April 2025, primary data were collected from 32 interviews (38 participants) with healthcare and community-based organizational leaders serving Latino immigrants in California.

Findings: Participants identified the public charge rule as a significant barrier to health care access for Latino immigrants. The policy has discouraged many Latinos from accessing public benefits, particularly the state's Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In addition, immigrants' trusted sources of information (e.g., family, friends, and attorneys) were often misinformed about the policy, which amplified confusion and fear. Organizations respond by providing accurate information and connecting individuals with reliable resources to clarify that using public benefits would not necessarily result in being classified as a public charge. However, most efforts focused on education rather than directly countering mis- and disinformation.