Aliento's Statement on Biden’s Plan to Expand Health Care Coverage to DACA Recipients

Yesterday, April 13, 2023, the Biden Administration announced their plan to expand health coverage for DACA recipients, the thousands of young people who were brought to this country as children. Under the proposed rule, for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, the Department of Health and Human Services will shortly propose a rule amending the definition of “lawful presence,” for purposes of Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage to include DACA recipients. They will be able to apply for coverage through the Health Insurance Market Place, where they may qualify for financial assistance based on income, and through their state Medicaid agency. But like any other enrollee, eligibility information will be verified electronically when applying for coverage.

At Aliento, we all applaud the recent announcement by the White House to provide healthcare coverage to DACA recipients; healthcare needs to be accessible and affordable for everyone, including our immigrant communities. We hope that this is one step of many to continue working on programs and legislation to fully support and protect the immigrants who are the backbone of this country. 

“We receive this news with gratitude to the Biden administration. We agree with POTUS that healthcare is a basic human right, and extending healthcare to DACA recipients will allow our communities to live healthier and thriving lives,” said Reyna Montoya, Founder + CEO of Aliento. “This is another great way to recognize the humanity of our DACA community, who work hard daily to contribute to our communities and the country they call home. The next step is to ensure a pathway to citizenship for all Dreamers, including our undocumented youth stuck in the DACA litigation and those too young to apply since the program is extremely outdated. We must find solutions; waiting is not an option.”

Aliento serves undocumented, DACA, and mixed immigration status families to transform trauma into hope and action. Aliento is youth-led, directly impacted people and allies who are co-creating and building a place where human potential is nurtured and not defined by immigration status. Aliento supports students and families impacted by the inequities of lacking an immigration status through education initiatives, arts & healing programming, leadership development training, policy & advocacy.