ATLANTA, GA – Today, FWD.us released new polling and a new report, “Cutting Health Care, Supercharging ICE,” detailing how federal budget decisions cut hundreds of billions of dollars from health care, food assistance and other programs while dramatically increasing spending on immigration enforcement are impacting families and communities across Georgia.

One year ago, Republicans in Congress passed President Trump’s signature budget legislation, cutting nearly $1 trillion from health care. Between that bill and the spending bills since, they have funneled a quarter trillion dollars to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to terrorize communities. The new FWD.us report shows that Georgia is projected to lose an estimated $4.4 billion in federal funding by 2029 as a result of changes to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, even after offset funds from the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).

Among the report’s key findings for Georgia:

• 372,000 more Georgians are projected to become uninsured because of the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
• Over 97,500 fewer Georgians are enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP compared with 2025.
• Five hospitals and medical facilities have closed or are closing, and Georgia is projected to lose 19,300 health care jobs as a result of changes to the ACA and Medicaid, even after the creation of the RHTP.
• At the same time, the state had 20 ICE detention facilities as of July, holding an average of 3,890 people each day, and 21,787 immigrants have been arrested across the state since January 20, 2025, many of them through the state’s 106 active 287(g) agreements. The federal government has also spent $197 million expanding detention capacity in the state, including paying over 800% above market value for one warehouse in Oakwood, Georgia.

Read the Georgia fact sheet here.

The new polling commissioned by FWD.us shows voters strongly question these spending priorities. In a July national survey of likely voters, 60 percent said spending hundreds of billions of dollars on immigration enforcement while cutting funding for health care is unacceptable, compared with 28 percent who said immigration enforcement should be funded even if it requires cuts elsewhere.

Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04) said: “Georgia families are already struggling with the rising cost of groceries, gas, housing, health care, and other basic necessities while wages stagnate. We cannot ignore that 372,000 Georgians are projected to lose health care coverage while MAGA Republican Trump minions in Congress enable ICE to waste billions of taxpayer dollars detaining tens of thousands of law abiding migrants in private, for-profit detention centers. Georgians deserve a federal government that invests in their health, safety, and economic security – not one that transfers critical resources away from needy families and into the pockets of super-rich corporate cronies.”

Congresswoman Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) said: “A budget is a statement of values and what we choose to prioritize. Georgia families are being asked to pay the price for Trump and Republicans gutting Medicaid, SNAP, and ACA subsidies to pay for billionaire tax cuts, while pouring billions into violent and reckless immigration enforcement and Trump's war of choice. Georgia stands to lose $4.4 billion in federal funding by 2029. That means more families are not able to afford their doctor’s bills and put food on the table. Federal funding decisions should invest in Georgia families, protect their health care, and strengthen our economy, not tear families apart and leave working people behind.”

Georgia House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley said: “Every Georgian should be able to see a doctor when they need one and put food on the table without worrying that critical support will disappear. Instead, these federal funding decisions threaten access to health care and food assistance in communities across our state while directing billions toward expanded immigration enforcement. Our priority should be strengthening Georgia families and ensuring they have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.”

Georgia House Minority Whip Sam Park said: “These federal cuts will do real harm to families and communities across Georgia. Along with causing direct harm to the hungry and sick, the priorities and actions of this administration hurt our economy and undermine our shared future. We are a nation of immigrants, not a nation that profits from locking them up. Georgia families deserve leaders who invest in their health, not tear families apart.“

Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us, said: “Hundreds of thousands of Georgians are projected to lose health coverage, hospitals and medical facilities are closing, and thousands of health care jobs are at risk. At the same time, nearly $200 million has been spent to expand immigration detention capacity in Georgia. Families deserve federal investments that make health care more accessible and affordable and strengthen their communities, rather than funding choices that put those priorities further out of reach.”

Felicity Rose, Vice President of Research and Policy at FWD.us and author of the report, said: “Georgia faces some of the most significant health coverage impacts outlined in this report, with 372,000 more people projected to become uninsured and $4.4 billion in federal funding projected to be lost. Meanwhile, DHS has spent $197 million to expand immigration detention capacity in the state, and more than 21,700 immigrants have been arrested since January 20, 2025. With major Medicaid and SNAP cuts still ahead, the consequences for Georgia families could grow even more significant.”

The Georgia findings are part of a broader national shift in federal spending priorities. The reconciliation bills directed $113 billion to ICE alone, including funding for nearly 100,000 detention beds, roughly 14,600 additional officers and staff, and expanded deportation operations. It also created a $27 billion fund within the Department of Homeland Security without specific line-item allocations or regular reporting requirements.

Read the full report from FWD.us here.