In his final year as governor, Gavin Newsom presented his budget proposal for fiscal year 2026-27 on January 9. According to community leaders, the budget fails to protect immigrants in California, and they urged state legislators to reject the proposed cuts.

“While the governor's budget preserves some crucial investments, it does not fully protect immigrant communities from the “Serious damage caused by the Trump administration’s anti-immigrant agenda and the congressional cuts to health care and food assistance enacted under the federal budget bill HR 1,” said Masih Fouladi, executive director of the California Immigration Policy Center. He noted that California was on a much stronger path toward universal health care by 2024, but recent budget decisions, including freezing MediCal enrollment and increasing premiums, have stalled that progress.

“This budget proposal will relegate immigrant workers to emergency health care.”

She added that it also fails to address the situation of the nearly 75,000 immigrants who will soon lose their right to federally funded food assistance, a benefit they have long received.

“California must invest in legal services and other essential programs to keep immigrant families together, healthy, and strong.”

Therefore, she warned that they will continue fighting for comprehensive health coverage, access to healthcare, strong due process protections, and economic justice for all Californians regardless of immigration status.

as well as by a tax system that requires corporations and billionaires to finally pay their fair share.

Governor Newsom said his budget reflects both confidence and prudence.

“California’s economy is strong, revenues are exceeding expectations, and our fiscal situation is stable thanks to years of responsible financial management; however,We maintain discipline and focus on consolidating progress, without overextending ourselves.”

He stated that we must ensure the budget remains balanced beyond the next fiscal year, with prudent financial management, funding reserves, and maintaining investments in key areas for Californians, from education to public safety.

At the same time, the state prepares for the volatility generated by the Trump administration, which is beyond its control.

“This is what responsible governance means,” he said.

However, leaders who advocate for immigrants, health, and analyze the budget disagree with his vision.

Kiran Savage-Sangwan, director of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network, said that under the governor's proposal, California would deprive immigrant survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and other traumas of full MediCal coverage.

“Despite being presented as a response to federal policy under the HR 1 law, this proposal reverses a decades-long state commitment, enshrined in state law, to provide care to refugees, asylum seekers, survivors of domestic violence, and visa holders for victims of crime.”

She said that without access to these benefits, refugees, who often need ongoing medical care for injuries, nutritional deficiencies, post-traumatic stress disorder, and exposure to infectious diseases, will be deprived of their doctors, therapists, and medications.

“While the wealthy and corporations enjoy billions in Trump tax breaks, the governor will continue to squeeze money out of the pockets of farmworkers, fast-food workers, and janitors, forcing them to choose between hunger and health care.”

Savage called on lawmakers to immediately reject these additional, racist cuts to MediCal for immigrant populations and to seek new sources of revenue to protect health care for the millions of Californians who are losing coverage and critical access to dental services, as well as those who still are at risk from the impending federal cuts.”

And he concluded by saying that “California cannot pretend to be more compassionate than Trump while doubling down on his cruelty.”

Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget & Policy Center, said that unfortunately, the governor’s spending plan for the 2026-27 cycle balances the budget by skirting the harsh realities of the Republican megabill, HR 1, and maintains the state cuts to vital public services, such as MediCal, implemented as part of the current year.

“The proposal will leave many Californians without food assistance or health care coverage.”

He argued that the state legislature cannot allow the federal administration’s cruelty and the governor’s reluctance to act decisively to dictate our future.

“The 2026-27 state budget represents an opportunity to reject the federal administration’s vision for the country and invest decisively to ensure an affordable and equitable future for Californians. The governor’s proposal does not present such a vision.”

According to the organization Health Access, Newsom’s budget proposal, presented earlier this month, unfairly targets undocumented and undocumented Californians by maintaining the 2025-2026 budget cuts and putting them at greater risk.

Cuts from the 2025-2026 cycle that Newsom’s new budget maintains:

The current proposal also:

In May, Governor Newsom must present his updated budget proposal, which has until June 15 to be approved by the state legislature to take effect on July 1.

The Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) urged the Newsom administration to:

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