By Ana B. Ibarra
May 15, 2017
Luz felt relieved and grateful when she learned that her 16-year-old son
qualified for full coverage under Medi-Cal. Now, she worries that the
information she provided to the government health program could put her
family at risk of deportation.
Luz's son is one of nearly 190,000 children who have enrolled in Medi-Cal
since California opened it to undocumented children last year. Luz, her
husband and her son came to Merced, Calif., from Mexico without papers about
10 years ago. Luz asked that the family's last name not be used, for fear of
being identified by federal immigration authorities.