Team,
It’s awards season! Now that you've probably heard who is up for an Oscar, let’s turn our attention to the immigrants’ rights movement and the truly impressive wins that have come out of 2023.
Over the past 12 months, immigrants and allies across the country have made tremendous gains in expanding access to health care, driver’s licenses, higher education, and economic support for immigrant workers. Below are some 2023 state highlights. Please join us in rolling out the red carpet for this remarkable progress:
In the Health for All Category ✨
- California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Minnesota, and the District of Columbia stand out for offering public or private health coverage with state subsidies to all eligible residents — regardless of their immigration status. 28% of the country’s foreign-born residents live in one of these states.
- Utah joined a dozen other states that offer or will offer health coverage to children, regardless of their immigration status.
Minnesota Sweeps🎖️
- Minnesota takes center stage with a host of inclusive policies, including:
- Health for all (effective October 2025)
- Driver’s licenses for all
- State Tax Credits for ITIN holders
- North Star Promise scholarships covering tuition and fees regardless of immigration status
- A 364-day rule, reducing the maximum sentence for misdemeanors by one day, which avoids certain immigration consequences
- Paid Family and Medical Leave for workers
Tuition Equity in Massachusetts ⭐️
- Following decades of organizing, students, educators, and allies in Massachusetts celebrate a victory after expanding access to in-state tuition and state financial aid for eligible students, regardless of their immigration status.
Economic Justice in Colorado 🌟
- Colorado takes a lead role as the first state to establish an ongoing alternative to unemployment insurance for excluded workers. The "benefit recovery fund" will soon provide up to 13 weeks of support to immigrant workers ineligible for the state’s wage replacement program.
- Colorado also will offer Child Tax Credits for ITIN filers.
We are proud to be part of a movement that is driving meaningful change. From coast to coast, advocates are working to ensure that all community members can get health care, pursue an education, secure jobs that match their skills, fulfill their potential, and live safely, with joy, dignity, and purpose. These and other victories in the states are truly worth celebrating.
Friend, we couldn’t do any of this work without you. Your support is another star of the show — thank you for being a part of this movement.
— National Immigration Law Center
P.S.: Click here to read our full report on 2023 state and local victories.
