Federal judge blocks Biden healthcare rule for DACA immigrants
BISMARK, North Dakota (KIFI) — A federal judge in North Dakota has blocked a rule from the Biden Administration to provide health insurance coverage to immigrant children brought to the U.S. illegally.
19 Republican-led states, including Idaho, sued to stop the proposed rule from going into effect.
U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor blocked a rule set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allowing recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (“DACA”) program to enroll in state's health insurance exchanges.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach led the coalition of state attorneys general. She said the decision is a "big win for the rule of law."
“This is another solid victory for the rule of law,” said Attorney General Labrador. “Federal statutes are clear that illegal immigrants shall not receive Obamacare benefits, but Idaho and other states had to sue to force the federal government to comply. The utter disregard for federal laws, from the illegal immigrants and the Biden Administration both, is unacceptable and indistinguishable.”
Labrador said the coalition of states argued that a 1996 law generally prohibits illegal aliens from receiving federal benefits, and the Affordable Care Act itself says that an alien must be lawfully present in the United States to receive subsidized health insurance.
In addition to Idaho and Kansas, Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia were part of the coalition.
Read the court decision here.
