DACA recipients are eligible – for the first time – to receive health insurance through the Affordable Care Act

Tens of thousands of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients are eligible – for the first time – to sign up for affordable health insurance during open enrollment through January 15.

More than 200 organizations have launched an online campaign to encourage DACA recipients to enroll in Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The campaign’s goal is to inform DACA recipients about the new federal rule that will allow them to purchase more affordable health insurance plans. The rule was finalized by the Biden administration in May.

DACA recipients remain disproportionately uninsured, say advocates, who say the new rule is expected to have a “life-changing” impact on their health.

“Health care should never be dependent on a person’s immigration status, and this new ACA rule will have an undeniable positive, life-changing impact on our communities,” said Juliana Macedo do Nascimento, United We Dream’s deputy director of federal advocacy.

“We are working to ensure that as many DACA recipients as possible are aware of the new ACA insurance plans available to them and can make informed decisions about their care,” said Raha Wala, vice president of strategic partnerships and advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center . in a statement.

READ MORE: DACA recipients are preparing for a new Trump term as the program’s future remains uncertain

An estimated 100,000 DACA recipients and other immigrants could be eligible for affordable health insurance, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think tank and advocacy group based in Washington, D.C. The CBPP based its estimate on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

DACA recipients may also be eligible for financial assistance to purchase health insurance if they meet income- and tax-based financial assistance requirements, said Shelby Gonzales, vice president of immigration policy for the CBPP.

DACA was implemented during former President Barack Obama’s administration. The program allows young immigrants living in the country illegally who were brought here as children to remain in the United States. It does not provide legal status, but provides temporary protection from deportation and permission to work legally.

DACA recipients have long struggled with legal uncertainty regarding their immigration status.

In fact, DACA hasn’t accepted new applicants since 2021, when a federal judge ruled it illegal and ordered that new applications not be processed, although current recipients could still renew their permits. The Biden administration appealed the ruling and the case is currently pending.

Many recipients had hoped that Vice President Kamala Harris would win the presidency and continue to fight for it. But the re-election of Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused immigrants of fueling violent crime and “poisoning the blood of the United States,” has heightened their fears that DACA could end and they could face deportation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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