Following federal pressure and rising costs, faith leaders urge state to protect seniors, the disables, and immigrant health care and lead with moral courage
Faith leaders across the state are raising deep concern over Governor Newsom’s proposal to cut Medi-Cal funding and make it harder for undocumented Californians to access healthcare when undocumented Californians pay $8.5 billion in state and local taxes. The plan would roll back a historic commitment to health care access for all Californians, regardless of immigration status.
“California’s budget is more than a fiscal document, it is a reflection of our values. Balancing the budget on the backs of our most vulnerable neighbors – rather than raising revenue, redistributing opportunity, reducing inequality, and making California more affordable for working families – is not only shortsighted,” said Joseph Tomás McKellar, Executive Director of PICO California. “It risks taking California backwards.”
The proposed cuts come days after the Trump administration began targeting California’s immigrant-inclusive programs, using inflammatory rhetoric to stir division and fear. Faith leaders warn that California must not capitulate to federal scapegoating or retreat from hard-won gains.
“We know these families. We’ve prayed with undocumented elders who now fear losing the care they depend on,” said Father Scott Santarosa, S.J., Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in San Diego. “This is not just about budgets. It’s about dignity, belonging, and the soul of our state.”
While the Governor’s office points to rising Medi-Cal costs, clergy emphasized that the budget gap stems from multiple factors – including prescription drug pricing and demographic shifts – not just immigrant enrollment. Targeting undocumented communities, they argue, is both unjust and ineffective.
Public support for inclusive health care remains strong. Polling shows a majority of Californians still back access to Medi-Cal for undocumented residents, viewing it as not only compassionate but cost-effective.
“In the midst of so much uncertainty, our faith is clear. We will not be measured by status, words, and certainly not by broken promises. Instead, we will all be judged by how we treat those with the least. Anything less than justice and mercy is a betrayal of the Gospel,” said Dr. Kadri J. Webb, Senior Pastor, St. John Church, Oceanside and Board Co-Chair of the San Diego Organizing Project. “This is not the moment to retreat from our moral obligations. Now is the time to rise and act with great courage and conviction.”
In a joint call to action, the leaders added:
Do not turn away. Do not allow a temporary budget shortfall to erode a long-term moral commitment. Do not let California’s legacy of inclusion be undone by fear, scarcity, or federal intimidation.
“California can still be a beacon of justice,” McKellar said. “But only if we choose to be.”
Joseph Tomás McKellar
Executive Director, PICO California
Dr. Kadri J. Webb
Senior Pastor, St. John Church, Oceanside
Board Co-Chair of the San Diego Organizing Project
Father Scott Santarosa, S.J.
Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, San Diego