A federal judge has blocked President Joe Biden’s attempt to extend Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) benefits to illegal immigrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
District Judge Daniel Traynor issued a preliminary injunction on Monday, halting the Biden administration’s plan to allow DACA recipients to enroll in Obamacare while the matter is reviewed in federal court.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach (R), who led the lawsuit, praised the decision, calling it “a big win for the rule of law.” Kobach emphasized that Congress explicitly prohibited illegal immigrants from receiving Obamacare benefits, and accused the Biden administration of attempting to bypass those restrictions.
The lawsuit was backed by 18 Republican-led states, including Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Virginia. The decision comes as President-elect Donald Trump is expected to overturn the Biden administration’s rule upon taking office in January.
Biden’s proposal, announced in May, aimed to open healthcare options to a subset of the DACA population, initially shielded from deportation by a 2012 executive order from former President Barack Obama. Critics argue that such policies undermine U.S. immigration laws and impose significant costs on taxpayers.
Estimates suggest that allowing approximately 100,000 DACA recipients to enroll in Obamacare could cost taxpayers $300 million annually, with some estimates reaching as high as $2.8 billion per year.
The ruling also revisits a contentious moment from Obama’s 2012 State of the Union Address, where he claimed illegal immigrants would not qualify for Obamacare benefits, prompting Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) to famously interject, “You lie!”
