New York’s Dreamers would be eligible for Medicaid even if the immigration program is changed or terminated, the state’s Democratic governor said Tuesday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's announcement comes as Congress struggles to reach an agreement on how to address Dreamers, who are children who came to the U.S. with their parents illegally. Deportation protections for Dreamers will expire March 5.
New York has about 42,000 recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Cuomo’s office said.
It added that many are at risk of losing their employment-based health insurance if the “federal government changes or terminates the [DACA] program.”
Cuomo said that under state law, DACA recipients are eligible for state-funded Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which Congress just reauthorized for six years as part of a short-term deal to reopen the government.
Senate Democrats agreed to support the deal to fund the government through Feb. 8 and end the three-day shutdown. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to bring up an immigration bill if a DACA deal isn't reached by then.
