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September 18, 2012

White House: Reprieve Doesn't Confer Healthcare Rights for Undocumented Immigrants 
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The White House has quietly announced young immigrants able to remain in
the United States as part of a recent immigration reprieve will not be
eligible for health insurance under the new federal healthcare law. The
new immigration program grants temporary legal status to live and work
in the country to undocumented people who meet certain conditions,
including being under 31 as of June 15. But in a ruling late last month,
the White House said the federal healthcare law excludes undocumented
immigrants because they still fall outside the definition of a "lawfully
present" resident. In a separate statement, the administration also
explicitly decreed that young immigrants covered by the reprieve will
not be eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program.
Immigrant rights groups have denounced the decision, calling it
reactionary and inhumane.

 

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