BY: CLAIRE KIM
As the 2020 elections come up, candidates for the Democratic Party have been challenged with several moral and justice-based issues to determine their final nominee. From talks of abortion laws to illegal immigration, one of the most prominent debates within the Democratic Party is the question of whether undocumented immigrants should be given health coverage in the US. As of right now, all of the candidates have agreed to such terms, advocating health care for undocumented immigrants as a must in society.
So how many undocumented immigrants are there in the US, and how many of them need health coverage?
Well, a rough estimate from the Pew Research Center in 2017 has reported a shocking number of over 10.5 million in the US, with 5.5 million of them needing health coverage.
With such an extensive number of immigrants who need health services would it even be possible to complete such a feat? From the Republican eye, politicians are stating that health coverage for undocumented immigrants is unreasonable because a large portion of US citizens don’t have proper health coverage. From the Democrat eye, however, politicians are arguing the opposite saying that health care should be supported for undocumented immigrants as it is unfair and immoral not to do so.
A divided issue within the political stage, undocumented immigrant health coverage continues to be a burning issue that will only grow more intense as the election draws closer.
claire kim. 