Clinics worry new immigration rules are pushing patients to avoid the doctor

Immigration officers will soon weigh whether participating in those types of programs means an immigrant will pose a financial burden on the nation. The wording of the policy gives individual officers discretion to decide who might become a “public charge” in the future when they apply for a change in status or renewal.

In turn, state officials say the new rule could shift health care costs from the federal government to the state, at a higher price, as more people begin to rely on emergency services.

“This is especially significant for us since, on a per capita basis, there is a higher number of immigrants who call Hawaii home,” said Beth Giesting, director of the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center.

“It is likely that the punitive treatment of immigrants proposed would scare people away from programs for which they’re eligible,” she added. “That would certainly be bad for the families involved, bad for community health centers and hospitals that would be serving people without coverage, and bad for the economy.”