Immigrant Health Care Access in Washington
Data from the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Deportation Defense Hotline shows that many immigrants in Washington continue to face significant barriers to health care. In 2024, 38 percent of callers reported having no health insurance, and among more than 2,600 callers who completed demographic surveys since 2022, many reported chronic illnesses or disabilities.1
Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network Deportation Defence
Hotline 2022–2024, 1,612 of 2,600 of immigrant callers are uninsured and many reported chronic illness or disabilities.1
These challenges highlight the continued need for policies that increase access to health care for immigrants, such as the Apple Health Expansion (AHE), Washington State’s effort to provide state-funded health-care coverage to income-eligible residents regardless of immigration status.
AHE is designed to provide basic medical coverage, preventive care, and treatment for chronic conditions for people who are otherwise excluded from federal programs. Ongoing funding is necessary to maintain existing coverage and meet the high levels of need reflected in these hotline data.
1 https://waisn.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026WAISN-Policy-Platform-ENG-SPA.pdf
Medical Neglect in ICE Detention: The Case of “Kuya G”
In March 2025, Filipino Green-Card holder Greggy “Kuya G” Sorio was detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and held at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, where he experienced prolonged medical neglect, including a bone infection that led to the amputation of his toe and a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis requiring continuous treatment.
His case escalated in December, when ICE attempted to deport him despite 18 pages of medical documentation showing he was unfit to travel. Only minutes before takeoff, an airline medical review halted the removal, which was the result of tireless organizing and activism on the ground. His experience reflects wider patterns of inhumane treatment in ICE facilities. 2025 marked the deadliest year in two decades for people in ICE custody, with 32 deaths reported nationwide in addition to widespread instances of preventable fatalities linked to untreated illness, poor oversight, and inadequate medical care in overcrowded facilities. Advocates and medical reviewers have repeatedly identified substandard treatment, including preventable deaths from seizures, heart failure, respiratory illness, and suicide.1
2025 marked the deadliest year in two decades for people in ICE custody, with 32 deaths reported nationwide in addition to widespread instances of preventable fatalities linked to untreated illness, poor oversight, and inadequate medical care in overcrowded facilities.
Kuya G’s case exemplifies how serious health conditions can worsen in detention, underscoring documented systemic failures in medical oversight throughout ICE’s expanding national detention network.
If you’d like to support or learn more about the Tanggol Migrante Movement (Defend Migrants Alliance) or to be involved, go to https://www.tanggolmigrante.org
1 2025 was ICE’s deadliest year in two decades. Here are the 32 people who died in custody | ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) | The Guardian