State policymakers have the discretion to extend a range of rights, protections, and opportunities for eligibility to Latino immigrants who lack citizenship. Inclusive policies range from eligibility to public benefits to access to higher education and workplace protections, to limitations on involvement in immigration enforcement. As a result, states across the U.S. have different levels of inclusion of their Latino immigrant residents. Inclusive policies not only make critical resources available to immigrants, but together these policies create a social environment that is more welcoming to them. In such environments, immigrants are likely to feel more comfortable accessing health care, engaging with providers, and obtaining resources to promote their well-being. Recent research shows that in states that have a greater number of inclusive policies, Latino immigrants who lack citizenship have higher rates of health insurance coverage. Controlling for sociodemographic factors such as age, education, and income, noncitizen Latinos in states with more than nine inclusive policies have a 10 percent higher probability of having health insurance than do noncitizen Latinos in states with no inclusive policies.
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