President Joe Biden will conclude his first term in the White House in a few months, and that’s for how long his administration failed to provide adequate federal help to the states of Texas, California, and Arizona to properly secure the border and prevent mass illegal immigration. As the November general election approaches, the migrant crisis remains the main focus among the presumptive presidential candidates, Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump, pushing all other major issues like abortion rights and the economy aside.
States left on their own to combat the crisis
Without proper funding and federal personnel, states are left on their own to secure the southern border and fight the influx of illegal immigrants. This especially applies to Texas, the state with the longest border with Mexico, which has been running the extremely expensive Lone Star Operation. This operation is a set of controversial measures that have cost Texas taxpayers more than $10 billion since it was launched more than three years ago.
California is severely impacted
Crossing the border in Texas has become nearly impossible, forcing migrants to look for alternative routes and entry points. California now serves as the main entry point for thousands of migrants each day, heavily impacting the state’s southern areas and cities. Local officials are constantly seeking federal and state help to keep providing essential services to migrants who are released on the streets, further worsening the situation in the area. According to SD County Supervisor Jim Desmond, 2,000 individuals were apprehended in a single day within one sector last week, the highest number in decades.
Free healthcare for undocumented individuals
Approximately 100,000 immigrants, known as “Dreamers,” who arrived in the U.S. as children, are anticipated to join the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance plan next year. This follows a directive from the Biden administration announced on Friday. While the implementation of this policy was delayed and did not meet President Joe Biden’s original intention to include these immigrants in Medicaid, it represents a significant step forward.
“Dreamers”
Starting November 1, right before the presidential election, these Dreamers will be eligible for tax credits when they enroll in health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. President Biden expressed his support for Dreamers in a statement.
“I’m proud of the contributions of Dreamers to our country and committed to providing Dreamers the support they need to succeed,” Biden said in a statement Friday.
Appealing to voters
This policy may enhance Biden’s appeal to Latino voters, who are vital for his reelection efforts. However, it has also attracted criticism from conservative circles, who are concerned about his policies on borders and immigration. The new rule specifically opens access to participants of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, many of whom are Latino.
The DACA initiative
Former President Barack Obama initiated the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program to protect immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and to permit them to work legally. However, these individuals, often referred to as “Dreamers,” were not eligible for government-funded health insurance like Medicaid because they were not considered to have a “lawful presence” in the U.S.
Despite considering an expansion of Medicaid eligibility for these migrants, the administration ultimately decided against it after reviewing over 20,000 public comments, according to senior officials who spoke on Thursday. The officials did not provide specific reasons for the lengthy process to finalize the rule, which was initially proposed last April. As a result, the delay prevented these migrants from enrolling in health insurance through the marketplace this year.
DACA enrollment has declined over the years
At its peak, DACA had approximately 800,000 enrollees, but the current number has decreased to around 580,000. The administration estimates that only about 100,000 of these will sign up for marketplace insurance, as some may have access to coverage through their employers or other sources, and others might find the costs prohibitive. Additionally, other groups of immigrants, such as asylum seekers and those with temporary protected status, are already allowed to buy insurance through the ACA marketplaces under the health care law commonly known as “Obamacare,” which was enacted in 2010.
