Sixty-three US lawmakers have written to the Trump administration urging emergency expedited processing of green-card applications for legally present immigrants who are losing government-funded healthcare coverage under new eligibility restrictions that took effect on 1 October 2025. The letter, addressed to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow, was dated 14 October and released publicly on 19 October 2025.

What the Lawmakers Are Demanding

The bipartisan appeal was led by Democratic Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke of New York and Adelita S. Grijalva of Arizona, joined by 61 other members of Congress — including Indian-American lawmakers Raja Krishnamoorthi, Pramila Jayapal, and Shri Thanedar.

The letter made three specific requests: an emergency expedited processing pathway for Form I-485 applications filed by immigrants facing imminent healthcare termination; clarification of existing expedited processing criteria; and coordination between USCIS, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and state agencies to allow coverage terminations to be delayed while applications remain pending.

The Healthcare Crisis Behind the Push

The new restrictions, introduced under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, are affecting access to Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Medicare, and Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Lawmakers argued that many affected individuals — including refugees, asylum recipients, and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking — would qualify for continued federal healthcare benefits once they obtain permanent residence, but administrative backlogs are preventing that transition.

'Because Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), that have already waited any required time, retain federal eligibility under health law, these individuals are losing their health insurance simply because they are trapped in a bureaucratic bottleneck,' the lawmakers wrote.

Human Cost: Cancer Patient and a Child With Epilepsy

To illustrate the stakes, the lawmakers cited the case of an Arizona woman with stage-four metastatic breast cancer who lost Medicaid coverage on 1 October despite being legally present in the United States. Her green-card application remains pending, leaving her dependent on chemotherapy without federal insurance support. Congresswoman Grijalva separately flagged the case of a nine-year-old boy with epilepsy among more than 20,000 legally present refugees and immigrants in Arizona at risk.

Scale of the Problem

According to the congressional letter, more than 281,000 legally present immigrants across nine states and Washington, DC had already been identified as facing Medicaid coverage loss from 1 October. A Congressional Budget Office estimate cited in the letter projected that 1.4 million legally present immigrants could become uninsured nationwide by 2034 as a result of the eligibility restrictions. Those figures represent estimates of the legislation's effects and are not a count of pending green-card applications.

The lawmakers warned that delays would force patients to postpone preventive care, potentially leading to more serious illnesses and higher overall healthcare costs. 'Needless red tape should never be the determinant between life and death,' Clarke said.

Where Things Stand

The letter does not confirm that USCIS has agreed to expedite applications or implement any of the requested changes. The lawmakers have asked the agency for a prompt response outlining concrete steps it will take. How the Trump administration responds — and how quickly — will determine whether tens of thousands of immigrants retain uninterrupted access to life-saving treatment while their residency applications await adjudication.