The Biden administration’s decision to extend Obamacare coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients comes at a time when more than 25 million Americans are expected to be uninsured. The move, announced Friday, modifies the definition of “lawfully present” in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include beneficiaries of the DACA program, making them eligible for a number of different health programs.
President Joe Biden said in a statement, “Nearly twelve years ago, President Obama and I announced the DACA program to allow our young people to live and work in the only country they’ve called home. Since then, DACA has provided more than 800,000 Dreamers with the ability to work lawfully, pursue an education, and contribute their immense talents to make our communities better and stronger.”
The decision has faced sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers, with Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) accusing the administration of giving American taxpayers’ “hard-earned money” to illegal aliens while Americans are left behind. “There’s an unprecedented crisis at our southern border, we’ve got major conflicts around the world, and families all across Ohio are getting crushed by inflation,” Vance said.
Worst president ~ ~ Biden grants DACA migrants access to Obamacare money https://t.co/Yvxge3sD56 pic.twitter.com/Bvch5GlCIg
— Mary (@matjendav4) May 4, 2024
According to Center for Immigration Studies researchers, the cost of opening Obamacare and Medicaid rolls to illegal aliens would cost American taxpayers about $4,600 per illegal alien. At this rate, Obamacare and Medicaid for DACA illegal aliens has the potential to cost American taxpayers roughly $2.8 billion every year.
