Ben D’Avanzo
@bendavanzo.bsky.social
1.5K followers 410 following 480 posts
Advocate for health equity and economic justice for the National Immigration Law Center. Also neighborhood and housing issues as a hobby. Dad of 2 cute wild kids.
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bendavanzo.bsky.social
I don't know what they expect here, except to literally require hospitals to ask heart attack victims for their birth certificates before performing an emergency bypass?
bendavanzo.bsky.social
This data is wrong, because it includes spending on emergency room services for green card holders and other immigrants who are blocked from Medicaid.

But Republicans could have eliminated this spending if they wanted to in HR1. But doing so would have obliterated hospitals' finances...
atrupar.com
Leavitt: "When an illegal alien goes to the emergency room, who's paying for it? The American taxpayer."
bendavanzo.bsky.social
This elected official was violently arrested for asking ICE if they had a warrant, which is typically required to arrest someone in a hospital
eric-reinhart.com
ICE just blatantly violated the law and arrested sitting Chicago Alderperson Jessie Fuentes while seeking to illegally arrest a patient in a hospital. Fuck these fascists.
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
citizencohn.bsky.social
Speaker Johnson fretting about impact of a shutdown on low-income Americans minutes after boasting about GOP cuts that will mean millions lose health insurance -- and millions more losing food assistance -- is an interesting contrast
bendavanzo.bsky.social
THIS is how to respond to the White House's lies about repealing H.R. 1

I just spent 45mins walking a reporter through every piece of their fake claims and wish I could do that with all of them because what they're doing is unbelievable
atrupar.com
DOKOUPIL: Republicans says what you're really fighting for is taxpayer dollars for illegal aliens. I know that's not strictly true--

ELIZABETH WARREN: Excuse me, not strictly true? It is a flat out lie!
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
If someone says "why don't they just get in line," send them this.
immcouncil.org
"Why don't they just apply for citizenship?"

This is a question often directed toward undocumented immigrants living in the United States.

But the pathway to American citizenship for the vast majority is long, complex, and financially draining.
Why Is It So Hard to Become a US Citizen? - American Immigration Council
“Why don’t they just get in line?" It's a question often directed toward undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org
bendavanzo.bsky.social
Love the podcast, but one correction Julie! Emergency Medicaid covers care for all types of immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid, including green card holders in the five year waiting period, among others.

So data citing EM spending as going to undocumented folks is very misleading
bendavanzo.bsky.social
I am sickened by this video and the concept that giving basic medical care to noncitizens is such an outrageous concept that it's become the GOP's main argument in the shutdown fight
Trump posts vulgar deepfake slam of Democratic leaders after White House meeting
“This might top the last shutdown,” one Republican said in response.
www.politico.com
bendavanzo.bsky.social
A formative experience for me as a human being was Johnny Damon shaving and cutting his hair
bendavanzo.bsky.social
Republicans know that taking health care aware from authorized immigrants would be unpopular so they continue to lie about their reconciliation bill
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/u...
Explaining the G.O.P.’s Misleading Talking Point on the Looming Shutdown
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
iododds.bsky.social
NEW: This is a story I worked really hard on.

I spoke to four American trans people about why they're claiming asylum in Canada or the Netherlands.

It's an eye-opening window into just how unsafe people now feel here — and what drove them to that point.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Trump’s war on trans people has left Americans seeking asylum — from America
Four trans Americans claiming refuge abroad tell Io Dodds why they no longer feel safe in their home country, from fears of martial law to being arrested in changing rooms
www.independent.co.uk
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
mtpromises.bsky.social
There appears to be NO red line they won't cross.
littlelobbyists.com
Medically complex and disable children shouldn’t be bargaining chips, period.

This outrageous act by #immigration officials is inexcusable and ultimately led to the separation of this 5-year-old autistic girl from Massachusetts 😡
ICE held 5-year-old autistic girl in Massachusetts to pressure father to surrender, family says
The girl's father, Edward Hip, has lived in the United States for the last 22 years, according to his wife.
www.nbcnews.com
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
michaelgkagan.bsky.social
I used to think that mass deportation was mostly about racism and white nationalism. But I realize now that some of it is just corruption and bags of cash.
Reposted by Ben D’Avanzo
nilc.org
Republicans' #HR1 is about to gut $7.5 billion from New York's health coverage program, jeopardizing health care for 1.7 million residents.

Meanwhile, the law hands out $30 billion to ICE & DHS per year to deport and jail our neighbors.

We don't have a money shortage; we have a values shortage.
nysdoh.bsky.social
Federal cuts mean coverage losses and increases in uncompensated care for providers. A 30-day public comment period is open on the NYS plan to return to a Basic Health Program to preserve coverage. Learn more: health.ny.gov/press/releases/2025/2025-09-10_federal_funding_cuts.htm
bendavanzo.bsky.social
The reconciliation bill kicks lawfully present immigrants, like refugees, off the ACA. Now, due to losing significant money under this part of the big bad betrayal, millions of New Yorkers, citizen and noncitizen, are getting screwed out of zero premium health care

www.axios.com/2025/09/10/n...
Exclusive: New York scraps expanded state health coverage, citing GOP budget law
The July megabill slashed about $7.5 billion of the $14 billion that New York gets annually to cover people in its Essential Plan.
www.axios.com
bendavanzo.bsky.social
I really hope we'll end up with a lot fewer parking lots and other land devoted to cars as a result. They're creepy and it's hard to trust big tech, but that result would be a huge win
bendavanzo.bsky.social
Court blocks the IRS from sharing taxpayer data with ICE.

Fingers crossed this becomes permanent, otherwise we'll likely see a lot of immigrant taxpayers fail to file their taxes this year

democracyforward.org/updates/cour...
Court Order Temporarily Restricts IRS From Sharing Confidential Taxpayer Information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Democracy Forward
democracyforward.org
bendavanzo.bsky.social
Restricting immigrants' access to benefits severely, as has been case since 1996, does nothing to quell anti-immigrant sentiments. People still stubbornly and falsely believe that undocumented immigrants can get Medicaid, etc

Further restrictions will do nothing but hurt families and communities