ABSTRACT
Farfan-Santos asserts that in my research with undocumented women, I found that mothers take on the role of health mediators and navigators, bridging the gaps in healthcare access for their families as they regularly confront a prohibiting healthcare system despite marginalization and the fear of deportation. Houston is home to the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the country;however, undocumented immigrants who are also uninsured experience limited access to such resources;their access is restricted by their immigration status, but also by their zip code, income, and eligibility for public health programs, among other factors. The cumulative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still unclear, but the early months of 2021 quickly revealed the deeply entrenched inequalities and barriers in the U.S. healthcare system. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the need to pay closer attention to longstanding socio-structural barriers in healthcare. We must also, however, continue to highlight the nuanced ways in which these barriers manifest in everyday interactions, even before a person reaches a doctor.