Arrest Fears Keeping NYC Immigrants From Seeking Healthcare

NEW YORK, NY— Immigration enforcement in New York City has continued to surge, with arrests more than doubling in recent years, according to data compiled by the Deportation Data Project.

As federal activity expands, legal and health advocates warn the effects extend beyond the immigration system, and show up inside hospitals, clinics and homes.

“All of those I would classify as policies that are meant to create chilling effects among immigrant communities,” Karina Albistegui Adler of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest said.

Albistegui Adler works with immigrants navigating both healthcare and immigration systems, coordinating legal representation and a network of physicians who provide medical evidence in cases ranging from asylum claims to detention release.

She said policy changes increasingly affect behavior, not just eligibility.

Immigrants' hesitation to interact with public resources can lead to missed appointments, lapses in medication and untreated conditions, including for U.S. citizens and lawful residents in mixed-status families.

“We’ve seen where people who do qualify, and might opt to not engage with systems that provide those services out of fear,” she said.

Patients who had stabilized serious illnesses now face new administrative barriers.

Many must recertify eligibility more frequently or provide additional documentation, increasing the risk of losing coverage.

Those gaps carry immediate consequences: lost medications, unexpected bills and disrupted treatment.

“We’re already seeing a lot of people who do qualify just have a really hard time re-enrolling,” she said.

Among the most vulnerable are patients with chronic conditions.

Albistegui Adler described patients with severe chronic conditions, including those who once depended on dialysis multiple times a week, spending hours at a time connected to treatment while still working and supporting their families.

Some later stabilized their health, secured jobs and obtained insurance, only to lose that coverage after their income rose above eligibility thresholds.

At the same time, she said, confusion within healthcare systems has increased, with some providers questioning patients’ eligibility or denying services based on incorrect assumptions about their status.

Arrests in the New York City area rose from about 2,300 in 2023 to more than 5,000 by late 2025, according to a Patch analysis.

Federal law already limits access to public benefits. Most undocumented immigrants are ineligible for full Medicaid coverage under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.

They can receive care through Emergency Medicaid, which covers acute, life-threatening conditions. That spending accounts for less than 1 percent of total Medicaid costs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates federal and state governments spent more than $16 billion on those services over a recent three-year period.

Emergency Medicaid covers stabilization, such as emergency treatment and childbirth, but not ongoing or preventive care, a limitation that can delay treatment until conditions worsen.

Now, advocates say, proposed housing policy could extend similar pressures into where families live.

A rule from the Department of Housing and Urban Development would require all residents in federally assisted housing to verify immigration status and direct providers to share information with the Department of Homeland Security.

The agency said the change “would adversely affect some tenants,” while shifting assistance away from mixed-status households.

Housing advocates estimate more than 100,000 people could face displacement.