(TheConservativeTimes.org) – President Biden signed an executive order today opening government funded health care coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program members, also widely known as “Dreamers”.
“Dreamers” are the children of migrants transported into the country illegally as minors.
DACA is a program created, also by executive action, by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and subsequently ruled as illegal by the 5th Circuit court in October of 2022. The ruling halted any further enrollment in the DACA program while maintaining the program for those members already enrolled.
The executive order extends Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) eligibility to an estimated six hundred thousand current DACA program members.
Biden said Thursday April 13th, “Today’s announcement is about giving [DACA] recipients the same opportunity and will continue to do all we can to protect Dreamers and push Congress to give them and their families a pathway to citizenship and ultimately, peace of mind they all deserve.”
Biden signed this new executive order while Title 42, the public health order enacted by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) during March of 2020, is set to expire May 11, 2023, less than a month from now. Title 42 has enabled border officials to rapidly expel migrants crossing illegally, mostly along the southern border, minimizing the number of migrants held in detention.
The Biden administration is scrambling for a solution with the number of illegal border encounters surging to 2.3 million during fiscal year 2022 and expected to balloon following the end to Title 42.
The likely surge in illegal border crossing will also increase the applications submitted to the DACA program. Although no new member applications are being processed at this time they are still being accepted and held by the program.
Biden’s executive order has already prompted many Americans to question the rationality of the executive action, pointing to barriers American citizens, particularly veterans, have to overcome for eligibility within Medicaid and ACA funded healthcare.
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