‘Big Win’: Trump-Appointed Judge Temporarily Closes Door To Obamacare For DACA Recipients

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s attempt to provide Obamacare coverage to illegal migrants enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, marking the latest courtroom loss for his 🛂Immigration agenda.

U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor on Monday granted Kansas and 18 other states a stay regarding a final rule from the Biden administration that would’ve given illegal migrants brought into the United States at an early age, popularly referred to as “Dreamers,” access to healthcare coverage under Obamacare. The decision follows a lawsuit brought by the states that argued providing subsidized health insurance to DACA recipients would incentivize them to stay in the U.S. longer, forcing state governments to spend more taxpayer money on public services like education and law enforcement.

In his ruling, Traynor stated that while the the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has the authority to determine whether an individual meets the threshold for lawful status, the agency does not have the power to “circumvent” congressional authority and redefine the term “lawfully present.”

“The authority granted to CMS by the ACA is to ascertain whether an individual meets the requirements for lawful status. It by no means allows the agency to circumvent congressional authority and redefine the term ‘lawfully present,’” said Traynor, who was appointed to the bench by then-President Donald Trump in January 2020.

In response, Kansas GOP Attorney General Kris Kobach celebrated the ruling in a public statement.

“Big win for the rule of law. Congress never intended that illegal aliens should receive Obama care benefits. Indeed, two laws prohibit them from receiving such benefits. The Biden administration tried to break those laws,” Koback