The impact of immigration influxes on healthcare systems

HARSHIL JOSHI – With repeated attempts and subsequent failures at compromise in our nation’s capital, the United States still lacks a comprehensive solution to address the increasing numbers of migrants and asylum seekers entering the United States. Without adequate resources or funding, cities like Denver are finding their healthcare system on the brink of collapse. Specifically, Denver Health relied on a collection of donations in order to just barely balance their budget after serving more than “80,000 migrants from Central America” who made “20,000 visits in 2023.” Denver is the most recent of cities that have dealt with the increase in migration. Others like New York City and Chicago are spending record amounts to house and feed the vast number of asylum seekers, not to mention the strain on the hospital system. The problem does not lie in accepting asylum seekers in and of themselves but rather the arrival rates are simply too high for the cities to keep up with. 

These recent trends should not be treated with xenophobia or an outright rejection of immigrants, but it does raise the question of how cities that are self-proclaimed “sanctuaries” are simultaneously supposed to serve their current population while supporting incoming residents, specifically with the healthcare system. This surface level problem dives further than a lack of funds or capacity. With a federal government slow to act and state agencies strained to the limit, there are no legitimate programs that are tracking their health, and without these initial screenings, there is a risk of exacerbating any pre-existing conditions or diseases, negatively impacting the well-being of the community. With a constantly moving patient population and lack of documentation, healthcare becomes incredibly inefficient as “paper copies” of records are distributed to patients who then show the paperwork to future healthcare professionals. This disorganization only compounds, leaving migrants unable to receive adequate care for chronic illnesses. 

Despite what mainstream news organizations televise, the extent of immigration problem is not a solely ideological one. There are real consequences to the mismanagement of immigration and the border, and a failure to address the root problems, in this case healthcare, will only cause these maladies to snowball. As an initial step, there is a general consensus that the United States needs to mitigate the amount of arrivals. Hospitals simply cannot handle this large of a population size without time to adjust, but beyond this initiative, there is still a need for a comprehensive solution for the migrants and asylum seekers already in the United States. Battling a language and trust barrier, the current healthcare system is not equipped to address the needs of these people which needs to change. With the problem only growing, Washington sorely needs to generate a solution or risk widespread consequences because of their inaction. 

Copy Editor – Yeongseo Son

Photography Source – https://www.cdc.gov/immigrantrefugeehealth/index.html