Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Judge Daniel M. Traynor of the U.S. District Court in North Dakota disappointingly blocked DACA recipients from accessing healthcare coverage through the Affordable Care Act granted by the new Biden Admin’s rule. This legal battle was ignited by anti-immigrant Attorneys General in North Dakota and 18 other states that are challenging the Biden administration’s attempt to correct the mistake of originally omitting DACA recipients from the ACA.
Representatives from the Home Is Here Coalition — encompassing over 100 organizations across the country — released the following statement:
“The detrimental ruling by Judge Daniel of the District Court in North Dakota will deny potentially life-saving healthcare and everyday medical needs for tens of thousands of DACA recipients in over a dozen states across the country. Everyone, no matter what their immigration status is, deserves to be able to go to the doctor and access medical care. It is cruel beyond words to deny someone the resources to be able to prioritize their health and well-being and to make rights like healthcare access dependent on where you live.
It was always wrong from the beginning to exclude hundreds and thousands of DACA recipients from accessing healthcare through the ACA. This is a shameful and callous ruling that only undergirds the vile attacks anti-immigrant politicians have carried out rather than investing in genuine solutions for communities across the country. We won’t cower to the cruelty of selfish politicians playing political games. Immigrant communities will continue to push forth in fighting for everyone’s freedom to move, stay, and thrive wherever they call home. We need bold action from state and local leaders to continue to pave paths of access and protection for immigrants everywhere now.”
