Biden grants DACA Dreamers access to Obamacare

President Joe Biden authorized illegal immigrants in the DACA program to access Obamacare on Thursday, allowing them to purchase insurance on the program's exchanges and to access Medicaid.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is an Obama-era program protecting illegal immigrants from deportation if they arrived in the country at a young age. DACA enrollees had to enter the U.S. under the age of 16 and to have done so by 2007. The program covers roughly 700,000 illegal immigrants. Enrollment grants a work permit and some access to benefits.

Biden announced the decision in a Thursday video message, asserting that DACA recipients are "American in every way except on paper" and deserved the same rights as U.S. citizens, the Washington Times reported. He further called for granting them full citizenship.

The decision comes amid ongoing legal battles over the legality of the DACA program as a whole. Lawmakers have previously expressed interest in reaching a permanent solution for its enrollees, but bipartisan efforts have failed to result in signed legislation.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.