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Trump Plan to Force Medicaid Enrollees into Farm Labor Would Hit D.C.’s Black Residents Hardest

July 9, 2025

The Trump administration has proposed replacing deported immigrant farmworkers with Medicaid recipients, which is facing strong opposition in Washington D.C. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins described the plan as quickly utilizing the 34 million "able-bodied adults on Medicaid" as replacement labor while eliminating "amnesty" for undocumented farmworkers. Health experts and civil rights groups warn this policy would disproportionately affect Black D.C. residents, who make up 40. 9% of Medicaid enrollees in the district compared to 36.

Who is affected

  • Medicaid recipients in D.C., particularly Black residents who make up 40.9% of enrollees
  • Working-age adults, parents, and children enrolled in Medicaid
  • Low-income D.C. residents who rely on Medicaid for healthcare
  • Adults on Medicaid who already work low-wage jobs without insurance
  • Medicaid recipients who care for children or aging relatives
  • Individuals with chronic health conditions on Medicaid

What action is being taken

  • The Trump administration is proposing to replace deported immigrant farmworkers with Medicaid recipients
  • Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins is publicly promoting the plan to use Medicaid enrollees as agricultural labor
  • Civil rights groups and health policy experts are warning about the potential consequences of the proposal
  • Critics are characterizing the plan as coerced labor that would particularly harm Black and brown residents

Why it matters

  • The proposal would disproportionately affect Black D.C. residents who make up a significant share (40.9%) of Medicaid enrollees
  • Many Medicaid recipients already work or have caregiving responsibilities that would be disrupted
  • Health law experts suggest the plan may violate the 13th Amendment's ban on involuntary servitude
  • The policy could fundamentally change Medicaid from a healthcare program to a labor conscription tool
  • It would potentially strip healthcare coverage from vulnerable populations if they refuse farm work

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The Washington Informer

Trump Plan to Force Medicaid Enrollees into Farm Labor Would Hit D.C.’s Black Residents Hardest