UPDATE via The Associated Press, Thursday, Dec. 12
Young adult immigrants known as “Dreamers” in 19 U.S. states, including Florida, will be temporarily blocked from getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s public marketplace, a federal judge has ruled, limiting an effort by the Biden administration to help immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.
Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court in North Dakota issued the order earlier this week from Bismarck, North Dakota, dealing a setback to a Biden administration rule that was estimated to allow 147,000 immigrants to enroll for coverage.
Traynor’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed over the policy and will remain in effect until the matter can go to trial.
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Tens of thousands of recipients under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, are eligible — for the first time — to sign up for affordable health insurance during open enrollment until Jan. 15.
More than 200 organizations have launched an online campaign to encourage DACA recipients to enroll in Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The campaign aims to inform DACA recipients about the new federal rule allowing them to obtain less expensive health insurance plans. The rule was finalized by the Biden administration in May.
DACA recipients remain disproportionately uninsured, according to advocates, who say the new rule is expected to have “a life-changing” impact on their health.
“Medical care should never be dependent on someone’s immigration status, and this new ACA rule will have an undeniably positive, life-changing impact for our communities,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, Deputy Director of Federal Advocacy of United We Dream.
“We’re working to make sure that as many DACA recipients as possible know about ACA insurance plans newly available to them and can make informed decisions about their care,” said Raha Wala, National Immigration Law Center’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy, in a statement.
READ MORE: DACA recipients brace for new Trump term, as future of program is uncertain
An estimated 100,000 DACA recipients and other immigrants could be eligible for affordable health coverage, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C.-based liberal think tank and advocacy group. The CBPP based its estimate on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The DACA recipients may also qualify for financial assistance to purchase health coverage if they meet income- and tax-related requirements for financial help, said Shelby Gonzales, the CBPP’s Vice President for Immigration Policy.
DACA was implemented during former President Barack Obama’s administration. The program allows young immigrants living in the country illegally who were brought here as children to remain in the U.S. It does not convey legal status but conveys temporary protection from deportation and permission to legally work.
DACA recipients have long dealt with legal uncertainty over their immigration status.
DACA, in fact, hasn't accepted new applicants since 2021, when a federal judge deemed it illegal and ordered that new applications not be processed, though current recipients could still renew their permits. The Biden administration appealed the ruling, and the case is currently pending.
Many recipients had hoped Vice President Kamala Harris would win the presidency and continue fighting for them. But the reelection of Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused immigrants of fueling violent crime and “poisoning the blood” of the United States, has heightened their fears that DACA could end and they could face deportation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
