Six Facts About Undocumented Californians

California lawmakers are considering expanding Medi-Cal to young adults (19–25) with low incomes and seniors (65+) with low incomes, regardless of immigration status. A new analysis of data from the most recent California Health Interview Survey by Nadereh Pourat, PhD, at the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research illuminates six facts about California’s undocumented population:

• Age Children and seniors make up a smaller portion of undocumented California residents compared to other California residents.
• Race/ethnicity A higher proportion of undocumented Californians are Latino and a much smaller proportion are white compared to other California residents.
• Income About two-thirds of undocumented adult Californians have low incomes compared to fewer than a quarter of other Californian adults.
• Work status Among undocumented adults under 65 with low incomes, a higher proportion are employed compared to other California residents with low incomes.
• Insurance status Undocumented Californians with low incomes are much more likely to be uninsured compared to other Californians with low incomes.
• Usual source of care Almost twice as many undocumented adult Californians with low incomes report having no usual source of care compared to other Californians with low incomes.

Download the complete graphics below under Related Materials. Stay tuned for more on what the California Health Interview Survey reveals about undocumented Californians’ health status and care experiences.