SANTA MONICA, CA – Today, the US Supreme Court voted 4-4 in United States v. Texas, a case with nearly unprecedented implications for immigration reform in our country. The Court’s inability to reach a decision maintains the lower court injunction that blocks the Obama Administration’s executive actions to expand the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to more DREAMers and implement the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Legal Permanent Residents (DAPA) program.
Mayra E. Alvarez, President of The Children’s Partnership, issued the following statement:
“Today’s Supreme Court split decision maintains a broken immigration system that continues to harm the healthy development of immigrant and citizen children alike. A direct contradiction to the morals of inclusiveness and fairness that our country represents, the deadlock leaves families in fear, communities in disarray, and futures uncertain for millions. An impasse on the DACA expansion and creation of DAPA marks a missed opportunity to expand health coverage to as many as 1.1 million Californians. Immigrants are part of the fabric of our society, and their well-being is directly linked to our state’s well-being today and in the future. We stand with our partners in the continued fight for families to make sure we are welcoming to everyone that calls America home.
“As we continue our fight for just immigration reform and health care for all, we must remind families that the 2012 DACA program will continue, and, in California, individuals with DACA status may be eligible for Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program. The decision also does not impact California’s recent Medi-Cal expansion to undocumented children. Through such policies, California’s commitment to the immigrant community and its future continues.”
For more information on DACA and Medi-Cal, visit http://www.allinforhealth.org/dacamented.
For more information on the Medi-Cal expansion to undocumented children, visit www.health4allkids.org.
