Anthony Virula, a medical laboratory sciences student, peers through a microscope while practicing how to identify elements they will commonly see in slides at the Sundquist Science Complex in Clarksville, Tenn., on Thursday, April 8, 2021. Hpt Austin Peay Covid 19 Testing Semler Students 10
Sacramento, California – A new survey from the University of California, Berkeley and Politico reveals that most California voters support providing Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants—but with important caveats, as budget pressures mount on the state’s health care system.
According to the poll, conducted between April 1 and 14, 21% of registered voters said California should continue offering Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, to undocumented residents even if it requires cuts elsewhere in the state budget. Another 32% supported maintaining the program, but only if legal residents are prioritized should budget reductions be necessary.
Meanwhile, 31% of respondents said the state never should have extended Medi-Cal to undocumented immigrants, and 17% support partially or fully reversing the expansion.
The findings come as California faces a $6.2 billion Medicaid budget shortfall, driven in part by higher-than-expected enrollment following the state’s January 2024 expansion of Medi-Cal to all low-income adults regardless of immigration status. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation to close a $2.8 billion gap, though criticism from Republican lawmakers has intensified.
Critics argue that the program’s costs are unsustainable and that benefits should be reserved for legal residents. “The cost of the program is more than anticipated. It is unsustainable,” Erika Li, chief deputy director of budgets at the state Department of Finance, told lawmakers during a recent hearing.
Still, support remains strong among Democratic voters and key demographic groups. Among Democrats, 77% expressed some level of support for continued coverage of undocumented immigrants, compared to just 16% of Republicans. Independents were more divided, leaning slightly toward the Republican view.
Ethnic breakdowns showed Hispanic and Asian voters were the most supportive of maintaining coverage, even with tradeoffs—27% from each group backed continuing the program despite possible cuts, compared to 17% of white voters and 14% of Black voters.
“There’s broad support for the state’s Medicaid program for undocumented immigrants,” said UC Berkeley political scientist Jack Citrin, though he acknowledged the nuance in voters’ views. “If cuts are necessary, the state may consider limiting access to vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.”
The poll also surveyed policy influencers, such as lawmakers and staffers, who showed even stronger support for the program.
As Newsom maintains that there are no current plans to roll back the expansion, budget talks are heating up ahead of his May revision. Democratic leaders remain firm in defending the program, while seeking broader solutions to rising health care costs and ballooning caseloads.
