In Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the National Council for Children and Adolescents (CONANI) is moving forward with a transformative overhaul of Law 136-03, the cornerstone legislation that governs the country’s minor rights protection system. The centerpiece of the proposed reform is a sweeping, explicit ban on all forms of harm against children and adolescents, including physical discipline, psychological abuse, moral mistreatment, and sexual violence perpetrated against minors.
标签： Dominican Republic
多米尼加共和国
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Strong earthquake in Venezuela felt in the Dominican Republic
On a Wednesday afternoon, a powerful seismic event rattled northern Venezuela, sending tremors that rippled across neighboring South American nations and reached far into the Caribbean, according to regional geological monitoring. Compiled by Google from aggregated data supplied by global geological agencies, the event has been measured at a 7.3 magnitude on the Richter scale, placing it in the category of major earthquakes capable of causing severe structural damage in populated areas.
The earthquake’s epicenter was positioned offshore of Venezuela’s northern coastline, a relatively short distance from the national capital of Caracas. The widespread tremors were perceptible across most regions of Venezuela, with residents as far away as multiple major urban centers in neighboring Colombia also reporting shaking. Even across the Caribbean Sea, inhabitants of several island nations reported feeling the aftereffects of the quake, with multiple accounts of perceptible movement coming from communities throughout the Dominican Republic.
In the hours immediately following the seismic event, local and national emergency response authorities launched rapid assessments to survey affected areas for damage and injuries. As of the latest update from official sources, no credible reports of substantial structural damage or loss of life have been validated. Emergency teams continue to survey coastal and inland regions, particularly close to the epicenter, to confirm the full scope of the event’s impact. This is an ongoing, developing story that will be updated as new official information becomes available.
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Tsunami warning issued for entire southern coast o the Dominican Republic
On Wednesday, disaster management authorities in the Dominican Republic activated a formal tsunami warning for the country’s entire southern coastline, following a powerful 7.2 magnitude seismic event detected off the coast of Venezuela. The alert was rolled out after the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET) confirmed the earthquake’s registration west of Puerto Cabello, a major port city in northern Venezuela.
Juan Manuel Méndez, director of the Dominican Republic’s Emergency Operations Center (COE), announced a tiered alert system tailored to different stretches of the southern shore. A yellow alert, the higher of the two tiers, is in effect for the coastal corridor running from the southwestern border province of Pedernales east to the southern coastal province of Barahona. For the remaining section of the southern coast, extending from Barahona all the way to the eastern province of La Altagracia—home to the popular tourist hub of Punta Cana—a green alert has been implemented.
In his public address, Méndez emphasized the urgent need for residents living along the coastline and in identified high-risk zones to adhere to all precautionary guidance. He also issued a formal directive to national and local emergency response agencies to immediately activate their established safety protocols, with the core goal of safeguarding civilian lives and protecting personal and public property from potential harm.
Preliminary seismic data published by INDOMET outlines key details of the earthquake. The tremor hit at 6:04 p.m. local Venezuela time, with a relatively shallow focal depth of just 10 kilometers below the ocean surface. Geocoordinates place the epicenter at latitude 10.407 and longitude -68.493, which is roughly 53 kilometers west of Puerto Cabello.
To mitigate potential risk from tsunami activity, INDOMET has issued clear guidance for at-risk coastal populations: residents should evacuate low-lying shoreline areas immediately, and move to elevated locations that sit at least 20 meters above sea level, or relocate a minimum of two kilometers inland if higher ground is not immediately accessible.
Additional guidance has been issued for maritime users: all small and medium-sized watercraft have been instructed to stay anchored in protected port facilities for the duration of the alert. Authorities also warned vessels to avoid navigating near coastal rivers and lagoons, where abnormal strong currents linked to a potential tsunami could create life-threatening hazards.
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FCCA honors David Collado for leadership in Dominican cruise tourism
PUERTO PLATA — At the 2026 Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council meeting hosted in the Dominican Republic’s coastal city of Puerto Plata, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) has bestowed a prestigious honor on David Collado, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Tourism. The award recognizes Collado’s exceptional leadership and far-reaching contributions to the rapid expansion of the Caribbean nation’s cruise sector over recent years.
The award presentation took place during a high-profile gathering that drew senior C-suite executives from the world’s largest cruise lines and top tourism industry stakeholders from across the globe. In its citation, the FCCA spotlighted the Dominican Republic’s consistent upward trajectory in cruise passenger arrivals, the ongoing expansion of its network of port destinations, targeted upgrades to enhance visitor experiences, and the widespread economic gains that the booming cruise sector has delivered to local communities across the country.
The trade organization went further to praise the Dominican Republic’s rise to become one of the most dynamic and sought-after cruise hubs in the entire Caribbean region. This status, the FCCA noted, stems from a combination of the country’s strategic geographic positioning, strong air and sea connectivity, world-class tourism infrastructure, and a forward-looking long-term strategy to build a high-value, interconnected multi-port cruise network that caters to diverse traveler demands.
Accepting the award, Collado expressed sincere gratitude to the FCCA for the recognition, and reaffirmed the Dominican government’s unwavering commitment to deepening collaboration with cruise line operators, national port authorities, the local private sector, and grassroots community groups. The minister stressed that cruise tourism remains a core pillar of the country’s national economic development strategy, noting its outsized role in driving job creation and opening new economic opportunities for residents in every region of the Dominican Republic.
This year’s PAMAC meeting brought together top leadership from nearly all of the world’s leading cruise brands, including Royal Caribbean Group, Carnival Corporation & plc, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, MSC Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and Margaritaville at Sea. The high-level participation from global industry leaders further reinforces the Dominican Republic’s standing as a critical, trusted strategic partner for the global cruise industry, underscoring its growing influence in the regional tourism landscape.
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Santo Domingo can become the Deal Room for LATAM & The Caribbean
Every emerging entrepreneurial ecosystem goes through a defining pivot point where the core narrative around its potential shifts. For years, outsiders and insiders alike raised foundational questions about the Dominican Republic’s startup and innovation landscape: Does a genuine ecosystem even exist here? Are there skilled founders, capable talent, accessible capital, and institutional buy-in? Can the country actually produce scalable startups, or will innovation remain nothing more than a hollow marketing slogan?
Those questions were reasonable once, but they no longer hold the relevance they did decades ago. Today, the Dominican Republic boasts a growing cohort of entrepreneurs building solutions across every major economic sector. Local universities are steadily graduating a new generation of digitally skilled talent, large domestic corporate groups are prioritizing technological modernization, and public institutions are having more serious conversations about national competitiveness, digital transformation, export expansion, and foreign direct investment attraction. The country’s large global diaspora brings not just capital, but decades of industry expertise and a deep personal stake in the nation’s future. Most notably, global stakeholders are no longer viewing the Dominican Republic solely as a tropical tourist destination – they see it as a viable place to invest, build operations, and form lasting business partnerships.
This progress does not mean the ecosystem is fully mature. It means the conversation has fundamentally changed. The question is no longer whether the Dominican Republic has untapped innovation potential. It is whether the country can organize that potential into a cohesive regional strategy before other markets lock in the Caribbean’s innovation opportunity.
### An open regional leadership gap remains in the Caribbean
Across Latin America, major innovation hubs have already staked out clear, durable positions in the global startup economy. Miami has emerged as a leading capital hub, attracting tech talent, venture funding, media attention, and entrepreneurial ambition from across the region. Mexico City offers unrivaled market scale, Medellín boasts powerful narrative and growth momentum, Bogotá has deep institutional support for innovation, São Paulo draws market gravity from its massive domestic economy, and San Juan is leveraging tax incentives and U.S. market access to carve out its own niche.But the Caribbean as a whole still lacks a single undisputed hub that naturally brings together the region’s innovation, capital, talent, policy leadership, and business development. There is no shortage of skilled founders, committed operators, serious investors, forward-thinking public servants, and engaged diaspora leaders working to modernize Caribbean economies. What the region lacks is a central meeting point where all these stakeholders can connect systematically.
This leadership vacuum is a once-in-a-generation opening – and Santo Domingo is perfectly positioned to seize it. The Dominican capital does not need to copy Miami, Medellín, or Panama City to succeed; it has unique inherent advantages that set it apart. It shares a close proximity to the U.S. market, boasts a large, economically influential diaspora, has world-class tourism infrastructure that already brings global visitors to its doorstep, and counts private sector groups with existing regional expansion ambition. Its services economy is primed for evolution, its workforce is increasingly digital, bilingual, and commercially savvy, and its cultural DNA prioritizes adaptability, connection, negotiation, and resilience – all critical traits for a thriving innovation ecosystem.
These advantages are significant, but they will not translate into strategic leadership on their own. They require intentional organization.
### From visibility to coordination: The next critical phase
For years, the Dominican Republic’s core priority was building visibility for its emerging innovation ecosystem. That work was not wasted: it gave local startups much-needed exposure, granted founders social legitimacy, helped investors see that entrepreneurship was more than a niche passion project, and pushed corporations to recognize that innovation is a core competitive imperative, not just a corporate department or marketing campaign. It also helped public institutions connect digital transformation, talent development, export growth, and investment attraction into a unified national strategy.Visibility opened the door, but visibility alone is not enough to convert attention into tangible economic progress. A founder can have widespread name recognition and still struggle to secure seed funding. A country can earn international praise and still remain under-positioned to capture regional market share. A well-attended innovation conference can generate buzz and still fail to produce a pipeline of investable deals or actionable partnerships. A sophisticated policy discussion around innovation can sound impressive and still fail to reach the founders and operators building companies on the ground.
This is the most common trap that emerging ecosystems fall into: they master the language of innovation long before they learn how to turn that conversation into lasting economic relationships. The Dominican Republic’s next challenge is avoiding this trap. The next phase is not more noise – it is intentional coordination.
### What a functional regional innovation hub actually delivers
A credible innovation hub is far more than a venue for occasional conferences and networking events. It is a structured space that makes the regional market more transparent and accessible for all stakeholders. Founders can easily identify investors actively looking for new opportunities in the Caribbean. Investors can quickly assess which founders have the teams and traction to scale. Corporations can identify emerging technologies that can improve their procurement, distribution, data analytics, logistics, customer experience, and open new revenue streams. Local banks can learn how to assess risk in new tech-enabled sectors. Policymakers can gather input from on-the-ground operators before designing regulatory frameworks in isolation. Diaspora stakeholders can find structured pathways to contribute beyond one-off donations or casual goodwill.This structured connection matters because trust remains the scarcest resource in emerging innovation markets. Capital flows to where trust exists, as do partnerships, progressive policy, corporate sponsorship, and large procurement contracts. Trust is rarely built through flashy press announcements and big keynote speeches. It is built through consistent, repeated interaction between committed stakeholders who have a shared stake in building something lasting.
This is why the Dominican Republic should shift its focus from hosting one-off innovation events to building a sustained, structured “market room” for the Caribbean. An event fills a spot on a calendar; a market room organizes sustained attention and connection from global stakeholders. That difference has long-term implications for market leadership.
### Santo Domingo’s opportunity goes far beyond local startups
The goal is not simply to build a better local startup scene for the Dominican Republic. That would be too small an ambition. The far larger opportunity is positioning Santo Domingo as the primary regional meeting point for everyone building the future of the Caribbean economy: founders, investors, tourism operators, financial institutions, universities, public agencies, diaspora entrepreneurs, technology firms, remote workers, venture builders, and global brands seeking trusted access to the region.The Dominican Republic has already proven it can attract global attention – the country’s $10 billion-plus tourism industry is testimony to that strength. The next question is whether it can turn that attention into long-term commitment. Commitment is different: it means tangible investments, cross-border partnerships, regional headquarters, product pilot programs, corporate procurement contracts, talent development pipelines, exportable digital services, and lasting institutional relationships.
This is where the real competition for regional leadership plays out. Countries do not win the future by being admired for their potential. They win by being useful. Useful to global capital seeking new untapped opportunities. Useful to talent looking for a supportive place to build. Useful to multinational companies seeking a gateway to the Caribbean. Useful to regional institutions looking for a neutral meeting ground. Useful to local founders scaling across borders. Useful to the entire Caribbean region that currently lacks a central hub.
Santo Domingo can become exactly that kind of useful hub if it positions itself as the place where Caribbean opportunity becomes easier to understand, easier to trust, and easier to access for global stakeholders.
### The ecosystem is already taking shape – the next step is intentional building
Many of the foundational pieces are already falling into place. Serious conversations around digital nomad mobility, startup financing, venture capital development, diaspora engagement, innovation policy, corporate transformation, and nearshore outsourcing opportunity are growing more common every year. More international operators are approaching the Dominican Republic with curiosity about business opportunities, not just leisure travel. Local founders are increasingly thinking beyond the small domestic market to scale regionally and globally. Domestic institutions are slowly waking up to the reality that innovation is no longer a niche optional conversation – it is core to the country’s long-term economic competitiveness.Events like the Digital Nomad Summit Santo Domingo are part of this broader shift, but the movement toward a regional hub is far bigger than any single gathering. The real story is that the room is already starting to form. Now the country has to decide who will be part of it, what standards of excellence it will set, and whether it will build a room for passive spectators or active builders.
That distinction matters. Spectators show up because something interesting is already happening. Builders show up because they want to shape what happens next. The Dominican Republic needs more builders in the room to seize this moment.
### Seizing the moment before the opportunity is locked in
The most critical window for capturing leadership in an emerging market is not when every analyst and investor agrees the opportunity is obvious. By that point, the best strategic positions have already been taken by early movers. The critical moment comes earlier, when signals of growth are still scattered, when talent is visible but not yet organized, when capital is curious but not yet committed, when institutions are interested but not yet aligned, and when international attention is present but not yet captured by any single player.That is exactly where the Dominican Republic stands today. The ecosystem is not finished, it is not fully coordinated, and it is not yet mature. But it is clearly moving in the right direction.
The country can either wait for other markets to define the Caribbean’s innovation agenda, or it can step up to build the central room where that agenda is negotiated. Santo Domingo already has all the ingredients it needs to pull this off. The only remaining question is whether the country has the discipline to make the jump from building visibility to building coordinated strategy, from casual conversation to tangible economic conversion, and from broad ambition to structured institutional architecture.
The future of the Dominican Republic’s innovation economy will not be decided by which side has the best ideas. It will be decided by which side builds the room where ideas turn into trusted, funded, partnered, and commercially viable businesses. That is the real opportunity waiting for Santo Domingo right now. It is not about hosting more conversations. It is about becoming the room the entire Caribbean cannot ignore.
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Health Minister highlights Dominican efforts to strengthen HIV response at UN Meeting
During a high-stakes United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS hosted at UN Headquarters in New York, the Dominican Republic has publicly restated its dedication to advancing a sustainable, cross-sector integrated, and community-focused approach to addressing the global HIV crisis. Health Minister Víctor Atallah, who represented the Caribbean nation at the 90th Plenary Session of the gathering, delivered a pragmatic address that balanced acknowledgment of global progress with a candid assessment of unmet goals.
Atallah noted that while the global fight against HIV/AIDS has yielded notable gains over the past decades, the internationally agreed 2025 treatment and prevention targets have not been reached on schedule. This shortfall, he emphasized, makes it urgent for the global community to confront deep-seated challenges that continue to hinder progress. Among the most pressing barriers he outlined are shrinking international financial contributions to global HIV initiatives, systemic inequities in access to high-quality HIV care and treatment services across different income groups and regions, and the ongoing societal stigma and legal discrimination that prevent many at-risk people from seeking testing and care.
The minister stressed that an effective, long-term response requires an honest accounting of both the victories already secured and the gaps that remain unaddressed. Only through this balanced assessment, he argued, can nations build a more equitable global response that leaves no community behind.
Shifting to the Dominican Republic’s domestic action plan, Atallah laid out the three core pillars of the nation’s updated national HIV strategy. First, the country is prioritizing the full elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B from mother to child, a key milestone for ending generational spread of the viruses. Second, the government is working to integrate all essential HIV services into national primary healthcare systems, as part of a broader push to expand universal health coverage for all Dominican residents. Third, the strategy targets gaps across the entire HIV care continuum, with the goal of improving patient retention in care and increasing rates of viral suppression among people living with HIV.
In closing, Atallah reaffirmed the Dominican Republic’s unwavering commitment to meeting the widely adopted international 95-95-95 targets. These global benchmarks are designed to ensure that 95% of people living with HIV know their status, 95% of those diagnosed receive sustained antiretroviral treatment, and 95% of people on treatment achieve durable viral suppression, a key marker of individual health and reduced transmission risk.
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MITUR and Arajet showcase Dominican Republic tourism at Miami Marlins game
MIAMI, Florida – The Dominican Republic has upped the ante on its tourism marketing push in the United States, launching a targeted promotional activation at Miami’s LoanDepot Park during a recent Major League Baseball matchup between the San Francisco Giants and the Miami Marlins. The collaborative effort between the nation’s Ministry of Tourism (MITUR) and low-cost Caribbean carrier Arajet brought Dominican travel and culture directly to thousands of in-stadium baseball fans, with iconic Dominican Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal headlining the event as the guest of honor.
Attendees at the activation got a hands-on introduction to everything the Caribbean nation has to offer, from its postcard-perfect white-sand coastlines to its vibrant cultural traditions and world-renowned culinary scene. Interactive activities, themed competitions, and high-value giveaways kept crowds engaged, with top prizes including free round-trip airline tickets on Arajet and complimentary multi-night stays at Dominican resorts. Beyond the fan-facing activations inside the stadium, MITUR and Arajet also hosted an invitation-only industry reception for U.S. travel agents, tour operators, media personalities, digital travel influencers, and leading tourism stakeholders. The private event centered on highlighting the nation’s expanding portfolio of diverse attractions and the growing network of direct air links connecting the U.S. to popular Dominican destinations.
This activation marks the second time MITUR, Arajet, and the Miami Marlins have partnered on a tourism outreach campaign, signaling the nation’s long-term commitment to growing its share of the U.S. leisure travel market. Dominican tourism officials stressed that the United States has long held its position as the single largest source of international visitors to the country, a status that makes targeted strategic promotions and expanded air connectivity two of the most critical pillars for driving consistent tourism sector growth and long-term sustainable economic development across the nation.
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Dominican Republic to chair Caribbean Trade Development Committee for 2026–2027
At the 31st Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), held this week in Panama City, regional representatives voted to appoint the Dominican Republic as chair of the organization’s Special Committee on Trade Development and External Economic Relations for the 2026–2027 term.
The Dominican delegation at the gathering was headed by Carmen Elena Ibarra Toledano, who attended the meeting on behalf of Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez. In its new leadership role, the Caribbean nation will lead and coordinate cross-regional initiatives to expand trade flows and deepen economic integration across the ACS’s 25 member states and dependent territories. As the only regional integration body that spans the entire Greater Caribbean, the ACS relies on its specialized committees to advance collaborative policy and development goals across the bloc.
The selection of the Dominican Republic for the chairmanship is widely interpreted as a clear signal of the bloc’s recognition of the country’s longstanding active engagement in Caribbean regional affairs. It also highlights the Dominican Republic’s consistent commitment to multilateral collaboration, inclusive economic integration, and equitable sustainable development across the Greater Caribbean. This new appointment adds to the country’s existing leadership portfolio within the ACS, where it currently serves as vice chair of the organization’s Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction. The dual roles are expected to reinforce the Dominican Republic’s growing influence and strategic leadership position across the entire regional bloc.
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U.S. Embassy: Americans in the Dominican Republic can obtain emergency passports
SANTO DOMINGO — The United States Embassy in the Dominican Republic has rolled out a new clarification of its emergency consular services, highlighting a dedicated emergency passport program for U.S. citizens who find themselves without valid documentation amid urgent international travel plans.
The announcement, shared publicly via the embassy’s official Instagram account, outlines clear guidelines for Americans residing in the Caribbean nation or visiting as tourists who have had their passports lost, stolen, damaged, or have accidentally let their travel documents expire ahead of a planned trip. To access the emergency passport service, applicants are required to first book an appointment through the U.S. Embassy’s official website, and bring any available pieces of personal identification, documentation that can prove U.S. citizenship, and formal evidence confirming their scheduled international departure within the next 14 days. Embassy officials stress that the service is exclusively reserved for urgent scenarios requiring imminent cross-border travel, and is not available for non-emergency documentation requests.
Beyond the emergency passport program, the embassy also issued a public reminder to all U.S. citizens in the Dominican Republic about its 24-hour, seven-day-a-week emergency assistance hotline. This round-the-clock service is designed to respond to severe, life-altering or high-priority events involving American citizens, including reported deaths, arrests, unexpected hospitalizations, and missing person cases. To reach the emergency response team, citizens can call the dedicated hotline at 809-567-7775. In a key clarification, embassy officials emphasized that this hotline is restricted solely for emergency reporting, and cannot be used to answer routine questions related to standard passport processing, visa applications, or other non-urgent consular services. Routine inquiries should be directed through the embassy’s official website and regular public service channels, officials added.
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Human rights groups urge end to migration checks in Dominican public hospitals
On a Monday in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, a broad coalition of human rights and civil society organizations delivered a clear demand to the country’s executive leadership at the National Palace. Led by the Migration and Human Rights Collective (CMDH), the coalition submitted a petition boasting more than 1,000 citizen signatures calling for the full repeal of a controversial migration protocol currently enforced at the nation’s public hospitals.
Implemented by state authorities, the protocol grants medical and immigration officials authorization to verify the immigration status of foreign patients under specific circumstances. For coalition members and supporting groups, this policy has triggered a dangerous ripple effect across the country’s public health system: undocumented migrant patients now avoid seeking life-saving medical care out of well-founded fear of being targeted for immigration enforcement. This avoidance not only delays urgent treatment for individual patients but also creates measurable risks to the broader Dominican public’s health, organizers argue.
At the core of the coalition’s advocacy is a firm principle: public hospitals must remain safe spaces that guarantee universal access to care, with medical treatment provided regardless of a patient’s immigration documentation status. Representatives emphasized that the burden of the current policy falls disproportionately on the most vulnerable populations, including expectant mothers, young children, and patients requiring emergency life-saving intervention.
The delegation that delivered the petition brought together representatives from a diverse cross-section of Dominican civil society, including Pablo Mella from the Montalvo Center, Abraham Apolinario of Caritas Archdiocese, Lía Concepción and Yildalina Tatem from CMDH, and independent journalist Ana Mitila Lora. In total, more than 70 national and international organizations have thrown their support behind the repeal initiative, ranging from prominent faith-based groups like Cáritas Arquidiocesana and civil society groups such as Participación Ciudadana, Casa Abierta, CIPAF, CONAMUCA, CE-MUJER, and Foro Ciudadano, among others.
CMDH spokespersons specifically highlighted the disproportionate harm the policy inflicts on patients of Haitian descent. The visible presence of immigration enforcement personnel within hospital grounds, they explained, fosters a pervasive climate of fear that pushes many migrant patients to delay care until their conditions become life-threatening. “A delivery room is not the place to implement migration policy,” coalition members stated, reiterating their warning that the protocol threatens both individual patient lives and the stability of the Dominican Republic’s public health system.
While the coalition explicitly recognizes the Dominican government’s sovereign authority to set and enforce national migration regulations, organizers maintain that the country’s commitment to fundamental human rights demands that immigration enforcement never come between patients and life-saving care. The coalition is calling on the administration to withdraw the controversial protocol entirely, remove all immigration enforcement activities from public hospital premises, and launch a structured inclusive dialogue with health care providers and civil society groups. The goal of this dialogue, organizers say, would be to craft alternative policies that fairly balance the state’s legitimate interest in migration regulation with the non-negotiable protection of all people’s right to access life-saving health care.