Local Latinx caucus rails against NE role in suit challenging health insurance for DACA recipients

LINCOLN — A Latino caucus of Nebraska Democrats on Friday said it “strongly condemns” Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers’ role in a lawsuit aimed at stopping the Biden administration from allowing DACA recipients access to health care via the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplace.

The Latinx Caucus of the Nebraska Democratic Party issued a statement in response to the multi-state lawsuit filed Thursday and led by Kris Kobach, Hilgers’ counterpart in Kansas. Attorneys general representing 15 conservative-led states, including Nebraska, signed onto the suit.

Their legal action challenges the federal rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that on Nov. 1 opens taxpayer-subsidized health plans under the ACA to the recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, a federal program that offers temporary relief from deportation and work permission to eligible undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

The Nebraska Democratic Party’s Latinx Caucus said that with the Republican-led lawsuit, Hilgers and counterparts are “fabricating a problem when you factor in Dreamers’ contributions.” 

DACA recipients, also called Dreamers, pay state and federal taxes, the caucus noted.

“They contribute millions to local economies and represent all industries and walks of life,” the group’s statement said. “For thousands in our state, Nebraska is the only home they have ever known.” 

About 2,450 active DACA recipients live in Nebraska, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.

Kobach, a Republican, has built a political career focused often on legal issues tied to undocumented immigrants, including cases in Nebraska. He said DACA recipients “shouldn’t receive taxpayer benefits when they arrive, and the Biden-Harris administration shouldn’t get a free pass to violate federal law. That’s why I am leading a multi-state lawsuit to stop this illegal regulation from going into effect.”

Hilgers on Thursday said in a statement that “hardworking Nebraska taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize big-government health plans for those who are here illegally.” 

The Latinx caucus said Hilgers and others “do not get a free pass on attacking our Latino community and their well-being. Health is a right that should be afforded to all those who contribute to our state and Dreamers are a significant part of the solution.”