Undocumented immigrants are a marginalized population that are frequently denied basic access to health care. Health care is stated as an innate human right in Article 25 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR), along with many other international declarations and charters. This means that health care should be indivisible, inalienable, and nondiscriminatory, including on the basis of one’s legal status. However, in practice this right is rarely recognized. Thus, this paper examines the policies of the United States and Spain on the right to health care for undocumented immigrants. Specifically, it focuses on the implications of these findings on the health trends and barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants. Additionally, through studying the United States and Spain, this paper will consider how the societal values of each nation affect the ways countries handle health care access for undocumented immigrants. At the time of this abstract, the study is still in progress.

Rachael would like to thank Dr. Uwalaka for his support on this project.