Happy Friday! From a new study by the University of Chicago finding that extending healthcare coverage to immigrants in Illinois regardless of status may save hospitals money to teachers supporting immigrant students amid growing concerns about absenteeism, these are the are top stories impacting the well-being of immigrants this week. – Thomas J. Rachko, Jr.
TOP STORY OF THE WEEK
Extending healthcare to immigrants regardless of immigration status boosted hospitals’ bottom lines in Illinois according to a new study by the University of Chicago. The Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults and Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors programs, were launched in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, to extend Medicaid-like health coverage to individuals who did not qualify for other healthcare programs based solely on their status.
Immigrant health care programs boosted hospital bottom lines, study suggests
NATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
What Immigrants Need to Know About New REAL ID Travel Requirements
As of May 7, 2025, people flying domestically in the US will need to present a REAL ID, passport, or another TSA-approved document. Travelers will not be barred from flying but required to go through additional screening if unable to present approved documentation according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem.
Here are the U.S. citizens caught in Trump’s immigration crackdown
Over a dozen U.S. citizens have been swept up in the immigration dragnet under the Trump administration. This includes a 4-year-old boy with Stage 4 cancer in Louisiana and military veteran in New Jersey.
Swiftly deporting migrants to Libya would violate court order, US judge rules
A US judged ruled that the Trump administration’s plan to deport immigrants to Libya would violate a court order. In an annual human rights report published last year by the State Department, the agency criticized Libya’s “harsh and life-threatening prison conditions.”
Trump administration says it will pay immigrants in the U.S. illegally $1,000 to ‘self-deport’
“If you are here illegally, self-deportation is the best, safest and most cost-effective way to leave the United States to avoid arrest. DHS is now offering illegal aliens financial travel assistance and a stipend to return to their home country through the CBP Home App,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said.
INTERNATIONAL STORIES OF THE WEEK
Facebook data used to study global human migration patterns
Statistical researchers at Meta, owner of Facebook, working with colleagues from the University of Hong Kong and Harvard University, have applied an algorithm to analyze Facebook data to track human migration around the world in the year 2022: 39.1 million migrated between 181 countries—all based on data from more than 3 billion people.
Guatemala’s cardinal trusts migration will be a priority for next pope as he readies for conclave
Advocating for migrants was a top priority for Pope Francis and Guatemala’s Cardinal Alvaro Ramazzini believes the issue will also be a priority for successor Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV.
HEART-WARMERS OF THE WEEK
Bill strengthening immigrant protections advances in Colorado legislature
Cocina Libre: A Place Where Food, Storytelling, and Immigrant Empowerment Meet
A Mother’s Day thank you to my factory worker abuela at a time of tariffs, deportations
Thank you for reading the IWB Stories of the Week series! Stay tuned for next week’s edition.
Thomas J. Rachko, Jr. serves as the Policy Lead at the Im/migrant Well-Being Scholar Collaborative. He leads policy efforts alongside affiliate scholars to translate academic research in accessible ways for policymakers, advocates, and community based organizations to make evidence-informed change.