April 23, 2026
By the end of June, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) will issue several rulings that may have significant implications for the health care sector.
The court will interpret the 14th Amendment in Trump v. Barbara, which determines whether the president can deny citizenship to children born in the United States to non-citizen parents. An individual’s citizenship status affects eligibility for federal programs related to health coverage, social security, food access, and housing subsidies. Children born in the United States after February 20, 2025 could lose citizenship and experience instability in meeting basic needs pending the court’s final decision.
Another relevant case is Mullin v. Doe, which asks the court whether the Trump administration acted lawfully when Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was terminated for certain immigrants from thirteen countries during the past year. The TPS program allows immigrants from countries that are designated as unsafe to apply for temporary protection from deportation and authorization to work. In Massachusetts, nearly 45,000 individuals have received TPS, many of whom originate from Haiti and many of whom work in healthcare service roles, such as in nursing homes, home health care agencies, and long-term care facilities. TPS is still in effect as the courts work towards resolution, but the risk to the health care sector is high. Some human service providers report that immigrants have already been wrongfully fired from their roles due to the uncertainty in legal status, causing further challenges for individuals and families that rely on the income.