HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — Immigration courts are operating during the government shutdown, and the Department of Homeland Security has funds through President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill to continue deportation and migrant arrests, Aaron Reichlin-Melnik of the American Immigration Council told Border Report Live.
In this episode of Border Report Live, Reichlin-Melnik, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council in Washington, D.C., told South Texas correspondent Sandra Sanchez that billions of dollars for deportation and arrests funded through the Big Beautiful Bill is allowing DHS to continue near-normal operations.
Wednesday was Day 4 of the federal government shutdown. Democrats and Republicans in Congress are at odds over passing a stopgap funding measure mainly over whether to extend tax exemptions for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.
Republicans say undocumented migrants have received insurance through the ACA but Reichlin-Melnik says that’s wrong.
“Let me be crystal clear. Undocumented migrants do not get health insurance through the Affordable Care Act,” he said.
He clarified that immigrants receiving care at a hospital emergency department is different from immigrants being enrolled in health insurance and premiums and he criticized Trump administration officials for confusing the subject by using the terms “emergency” medicine, in their messaging.
He also said it was unnecessary for Texas to send 400 National Guard troops to Chicago, and Portland, Oregon, which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the weekend announced.
A federal judge, however, has blocked deployment of the troops.
Reichlin-Melnik says sending troops to Chicago could further enflame protesters as it has in other cities where National Guard troops have been deployed.
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