A coalition of advocacy groups has warned Latinos about how they could be impacted by Project 2025, the right-wing policy map supported by many of Trump’s top advisers. Project 2025 aims to limit Medicaid, relax environmental protections, shrink the social safety net, and shutter the U.S. Department of Education — key issues for Latino voters, who will play a decisive role in the presidential elections.
Yet “there’s not enough information” about how it “has really, really troubling ideas on issues that really matter to the Latino community,” says Vanessa Cardenas, executive director of America’s Voice, an immigrant rights organization.
Latinos participate in many of the social safety net programs targeted by Project 2025. For example, Latinos make up 30% of people enrolled in Medicaid, and many could be affected by proposed caps on the program under Project 2025.
Poder Latinx, one of the organizations involved in the campaign, will help train dozens of canvassers on how to talk to people about Project 2025, says executive director Yadira Sanchez. The organization has about 70 canvassers in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Washington, California, and Texas.
Various entrenched social and economic issues hinder coverage among immigrants, according to a 2022 report by the Hispanic Federation. In addition to practical obstacles like language barriers and affordability, the report identified the fear of deportation and the stigma associated with conditions like mental illness, addiction, and HIV.
Racial disparities also exacerbate the challenges of coverage. Research has found that Black and Latino adults in the process of renewing Medicaid coverage are more likely than white people to be asked to show proof of residency.
Health inequality is a complex and stubborn problem. In Latino communities, addressing it starts with the simple step of overcoming the initial language barrier.
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