Other Illinois officials stressed that a state-authorized bill is on the governor’s desk, but last week ended enrollment in a state-funded health insurance program for immigrants under 65. Backlash poured in on Wednesday against Gov. J.B. Pritzker following his decision. Issuing ordinary driver’s licenses to foreigners.
Although unrelated, the two have come as Mr. Pritzker continues to push back against criticism from Latino lawmakers and immigrant advocates that the administration’s decisions on health insurance programs were “immoral and financially short-sighted.” One issue took center stage. Mr. Pritzker defended the move because the cost of the program has skyrocketed.
But protesters gathered in downtown Federal Square for a “death rally” to beat up Mr. Pritzker and carry placards in English and Spanish declaring health care a human right.
“Instead of honoring the lives that have lived and thrived under this program, I am outraged that we have to provide the governor’s office with the visuals they will respond to: lives dying.” said Graciela. Guzman is a former campaign director for Healthy Illinois, a coalition of immigrants and health advocates. “I am here to remind everyone that we can and must continue to work together in this effort.”
Community organizer Gro Choi gathered a crowd of nearly 100 people and yelled into the microphone. we want to live we want to thrive. We want our families, grandchildren, parents and families to prosper. We call on Governor Pritzker to rescind these rules. “
[ With costs soaring, Gov. J.B. Pritzker to close enrollment for many in insurance program for immigrants ]
Last week, the Pritzker administration announced that it would suspend health insurance programs for immigrants under the age of 65 who entered the country without legal authorization, and would cap those over the age of 65. The changes are set to go into effect on July 1, the start of the state budget year, when Mr. Pritzker signed a $50.4 billion budget agreement with Democrats at the May General Assembly, about half of which is $550 million. is assigned to the same program. The program was predicted to be expensive.
The budget agreement puts responsibility for the plan directly on Mr. Pritzker, and the move proves the governor’s increased political responsibility early in his second term. While Mr. Pritzker is trying to balance political and financial realities, a bill that immigration advocates want to allow states to issue regular driver’s licenses to noncitizens is awaiting the governor’s signature.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannurias gathered with supporters and lawmakers in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood to push for a bill to change illegal immigration permits. State law now requires a temporary visitor’s driver’s license (TVDL), but proponents of the new bill say a temporary visitor’s license cannot be used as a valid form of identification, and law enforcement and other They argue that it stigmatizes non-citizens because it makes agencies realize that drivers are not legal.in the United States
The new 4-year license replaces the TVDL and includes the wording “Federal Restrictions Apply” instead of the current “Not valid for ID” wording marked in purple above . Giannurias said TVDL can’t be used for routine tasks like picking up medicine from a pharmacy, signing an apartment lease, or checking an age.
“TVDL has become the scarlet letter of someone’s immigration status, sadly exposing them to discrimination and immigration enforcement,” Giannurias said. “Our state welcomes people of all backgrounds. Our communities are more vibrant because of this welcoming culture woven into Illinois.”
“This effort is not just about fairness and equality,” he added. “Safety is also important. Enabling immigrants to obtain a driver’s license regardless of their legal status will improve road safety for everyone on our roads.”
Asked whether the governor plans to sign the driver licensing bill and whether it will mitigate the criticism he has received over his response to the health care program, Pritzker said the governor “looks forward to reviewing the bill.” Stated. The spokesman emphasized the administration’s support for migrants and refugees, which he said included “cash assistance, housing and utility bill assistance, employment and vocational training services, and medical education.”
“Illinois continues to invest in healthcare with more than $500 million in programs that provide healthcare to more than 63,000 people,” spokesman Alex Goff said in a statement. “These are huge successes for the immigrant community and the governor is proud of his record.”
[ Ballooning cost of insuring undocumented immigrants complicating state budget negotiations ]
Created in 2020, the program will initially target people aged 65 and over who are entering the country without legal authorization or who have a green card but are ineligible for traditional health insurance because they have not completed the five-year waiting period. It provided Medicaid-style insurance to immigrants. A program co-funded by the federal government for the poor.
Since then, the program has been expanded twice and now covers those 42 and older. Supporters and some Democrats said during Congress in the spring that there would be no restrictions on whether the state could afford to fund existing programs at current levels. A call for further expansion of the program was unsuccessful.
Giannurias said the driver license bill would still require noncitizens to go to a vehicle service facility to take the required vision and written tests and to prove they have car insurance. The ID card does not comply with the federal government’s REAL ID Act program, which has increased security standards for state-issued IDs, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
According to Giannurias’ office, the action would prevent immigration officials from using the data from these new IDs unless they submit a court-issued warrant, order, or subpoena requesting personally identifiable information. is also prohibited.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/RHNVTIGDLNEV3FZ5N5RMSGNB5I.JPG)
Rep. Barbara Hernandez, a Democrat from Aurora who sponsored the bill, recalled attending a public rally with her father many years ago when he voiced support for the driver’s license bill. recalled to the audience. Start working and don’t let anyone stop him or hold him back. “
“That’s why I’m so grateful to be able to participate in this bill and help other families who may be in the same situation my father was once in,” Hernandez said. “There are many families who need this form of identification, but have been told for several years, almost a decade, that this identification cannot be used.”
If Pritzker signs the bill, Illinois will join other states such as California, Oregon, Colorado, Maryland, New York and New Jersey that have similar procedures for obtaining driver’s licenses for noncitizens, according to the Secretary of State’s office. It will be.
Hernandez said he was happy that immigrants who entered the country without legal authorization could get a regular driver’s license if the governor signed the bill, but health care remained “a huge deal for this resident.” element”.
“Over the last few years, illegal immigration communities have lived without medical care. Perhaps that is why the whole medical process is now so expensive. could have been implemented and prevented further illness,” she said. “But because we’ve neglected them for so long, they now have a disease that must be monitored continuously, they’re on medication, and of course, unfortunately a lot of money for the state. It will be expensive.”
At a press conference in Prysen, Giannurias was hesitant to say whether Pritzker’s signing of the driver’s license bill would ease the scrutiny he has faced over the immigrant health care program. Giannurias focused instead on driver licensing laws.
“From the Secretary of State’s perspective, this is about equality. It’s about fairness. ” he said.
Chicago Democratic senator Omar Aquino, who attended both the Gianurias press conference and the Federal Plaza attack, said the state’s rule “has very simple consequences” and “is a life or death situation.” warned the crowd. “
“In the richest country in the world, it’s not right that we have to decide who lives or dies,” he shouts without a microphone to applause. “It is becoming increasingly important to make sure immigrants in this state know that you are part of us and that we care about you and your families.”
