OPINION | This article contains commentary that reflects the author's opinion.
Immigrants who are flocking to the United States without healthcare plans of their own or the ability to quickly purchase one will now be turned away.
On Friday evening, CBS News reports President Trump signed a proclamation suspending entry of all migrants unless “the applicants demonstrate that they will have the ability to secure health insurance within a month of their arrival in the U.S.”
In the proclamation, Trump said migrants who enter the United States without the ability to purchase healthcare plans are placing a burden on the federal government and agencies which cover the cost of unpaid medical bills.
“While our healthcare system grapples with the challenges caused by uncompensated care, the United States Government is making the problem worse by admitting thousands of aliens who have not demonstrated any ability to pay for their healthcare costs,” Trump said, per Reuters.
“The costs associated with this care are passed on to the American people in the form of higher taxes, higher premiums, and higher fees for medical services,” the president added via CBS News.
Reuters also reports the order would not affect individuals seeking eligibility for asylum or refugee status. It would, however, provide an exception for those migrants who can foot their own healthcare costs and medical bills.
The proclamation will reportedly take effect on November 3.
And, Reuters reports:
Trump has made cutting legal and illegal immigration a centerpiece of his presidency. The Trump administration said last month that it planned to allow only 18,000 refugees to resettle in the United States in the 2020 fiscal year, the lowest number in the history of the modern refugee program.
He said the suspension applied only to people seeking to enter the United States with an immigrant visa.
The document listed the types of insurance considered approved, such as employer-sponsored plans and the Medicare program for the elderly.
But it said for people over the age of 18, coverage under the Medicaid program for the poor is not approved.
Politico adds:
The move also combines two hot-button political issues — immigration and health care — in the run-up to the 2020 elections. Most Democratic presidential candidates have said they support providing health care to undocumented immigrants. Trump mocked that stance on Twitter while Democrats debated in June.
“All Democrats just raised their hands for giving millions of illegal aliens unlimited healthcare,” he tweeted at the time. “How about taking care of American Citizens first!? That’s the end of that race!”
