US immigration policy contravenes the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which all United Nations member nations have ratified except the United States. The convention recognizes that children need special assistance and legal protection and prohibits deprivation of liberty.

The most controversial component of the ACA has arguably been the mandate that group health plans cover contraception costs, which has elicited backlash from religious and conservative groups who believe it violates certain employers' religious freedoms.

Recent legislative and regulatory actions extend equal protection under the law to members of the LGBT community.

To achieve health equity, governments can use a variety of tools, including civil rights legislation and constitutional jurisprudence.