Friend, a few weeks ago, we highlighted some of this year's immigrants’ rights victories in Minnesota, including long-overdue wins that make health care, higher education, and driver’s licenses available to immigrants regardless of their status.

This week, we’re sharing several more hard-fought victories from states across the country that are leading in the fight for immigrant justice. Here are more of the immigrant-inclusive policies adopted this year:

Health Care:

In addition to Minnesota, where health care for all will become available in 2025:

Oregon now offers public health coverage to state residents regardless of their immigration status.
California will make public health coverage available to all immigrants, regardless of their status, in January 2024.
Washington will offer private coverage with state subsidies to residents regardless of immigration status in January 2024, and public coverage (with capped funding) to low-income residents beginning July 1, 2024.
Colorado now offers subsidies to make private health care coverage more affordable for its residents.
This year, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, and New Hampshire chose to cover lawfully residing children and pregnant people, while Nevada and North Dakota will cover lawfully residing pregnant people under Medicaid.
Over a dozen states have health care programs that cover or will cover children regardless of immigration status: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Washington, D.C.

Driver’s Licenses:

Illinois will allow most immigrants to obtain standard (non-REAL ID) driver’s licenses or identification cards. Rhode Island also will make state ID cards available regardless of status in July 2024.
In Colorado, undocumented immigrants can now get Colorado driver’s licenses or ID cards at all DMVs in the state.
Driver’s licenses are offered or will soon be offered to residents in 19 states plus the District of Columbia, home to 60% of foreign-born residents.

Tuition Equity:

Massachusetts' governor is expected to sign a bill that provides in-state tuition and financial aid to students who meet certain criteria, regardless of their immigration status.
Utah, Oregon, Nevada, and Illinois also improved access to in-state tuition and/or financial aid for immigrants this year.
Once Massachusetts is included, at least 24 states, representing 84% of foreign-born residents, will have a tuition equity law or policy.

These incredible victories are due to years of advocacy by immigrants, health care and community-based organizations, students, educators, and allies across the country. Although the fight is far from over, we celebrate this hard work with you today.

Together, we can advance equity and justice in the U.S. Thank you for your support in building a movement, creating meaningful and enduring change, and paving a way for immigrant communities to thrive.

Sincerely,

Tanya Broder
Senior Counsel, Health & Economic Justice Policy
National Immigration Law Center

P.S. For more information, visit www.nilc.org

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