As we jump into 2026, the early mornings on Yanonali Street feel heavier at Spanish Clinic.

Before the sun rises, undocumented workers still gather across from the Rescue Mission, standing quietly waiting for a chance at work. This ritual hasn’t changed. What has changed is the growing uncertainty around their ability to get healthcare, especially after working high-demanding jobs for years. For the first time, Doctors Without Walls has had to inform them that they, as undocumented unstably housed individuals, are no longer eligible to enroll in CenCal as of January 1, 2026.

For a brief moment, many in this community felt a sense of relief when California expanded Medi-Cal through CenCal Health in ways that were historic. Undocumented children, adults over 50, and more were finally able to access full medical care through CenCal. People scheduled their first physical in decades, chronic pain was medicated, and dental visits were a call away. For many, it was the first time they felt accepted by a healthcare system.

In 2026, that moment has now shifted.

Beginning January 1, 2026, newly applying undocumented adults age 19 and older will no longer qualify for full Medi-Cal coverage. Instead, they will only have coverage during emergencies and pregnancies, this is called limited-scope Medi-Cal. This has left uninsured undocumented individuals with no routine medical or dental visits, and most importantly no preventative visits. Leaving them with last minute urgent coverage only.

Luckily, undocumented individuals who are under the age of 18, pregnant, or already enrolled in Medi-Cal, will continue to receive their full benefits. However,  if they fail to successfully renew on time, now every 6 months, they lose their chance at their healthcare. For many men seen on Yanonali Street, workers who wake up before dawn and work laborious long hours 7 days a week, finding the time to visit social services and renew their CenCal is not always the easiest. Another reason why many of them were not enrolled before January 1st. Their access to healthcare is narrowing once again.

This is why our presence as Doctors Without Walls matters more than ever.

On the first Thursday of every month, our Spanish Speaking Outreach Team continues to meet people right where they are. We arrive with food bags, hygiene items, medical supplies, and open hearts. We greet everyone in Spanish. We ask how they are feeling, and we mean it. We do not ask for insurance, identification, or immigration status. We take vitals, clean wounds, treat infections, and hand out socks, water, and food bags. We listen and we laugh with them. We build trust by showing up again and again.

As coverage disappears for them, we are doing everything we can to fill the space left behind. Our free dental clinic has become a lifeline. Dental pain is one of the most common and debilitating issues we see, and limited-scope Medi-Cal does not cover dental care. Beginning in July of 2026, full dental benefits for undocumented adults will end entirely. Through our clinic, people can receive basic dental care such as x-rays, extractions, and relief from pain that will go untreated otherwise. For many, it is the only dental care they will ever receive.

The people we serve are our neighbors. They show up to work even when their bodies hurt. They carry fear quietly and still find ways to smile, joke, and thank us for simply being there.

What we offer cannot replace comprehensive healthcare. We know that. This work reflects our mission to provide free, volunteer medical care when and where people are in need, especially for those pushed to the margins of traditional systems.

We remain committed. Dignity does not come from a benefits card or a policy line. Sometimes it comes from a familiar face on the sidewalk, a medical bag opened with care, or a dental chair offered without judgment. As long as people continue to gather on Yanonali Street before dawn, they will not stand alone. 

BY Evelyn Sanchez, DWW Communications Volunteer