Health Care Reform as It Applies to Immigrants

Added: (Tue Dec 29 2009)

Pressbox (Press Release) - Houston-area immigration lawyer Annie Banerjee weighs in on how the new health care reform measures might affect immigrants.

During President Barack H. Obama's now infamous speech on health care to the joint session of Congress in which he reiterated that the new plan would not cover illegal immigrants, U.S. Congressman Joseph Wilson (R-South Carolina) behaved like a buffoon and shouted "You lie." According to Houston-area immigration lawyer Annie Banerjee, “It’s safe to assume that Mr. Wilson is not an advocate of illegal immigration, and he’s not particularly civil, either.” That said, according to Banerjee, “The Obama Administration is much harder on illegal immigrants than was the previous administration.”

She has reason to know and points to specifics. “For instance, the e-verify program has been extended in Obama's tenure to encompass ALL federal contractors,” she begins, “The ICE crackdowns on illegal workers are much more enforced and frequent than during the previous regime.” She continues. “For the first time, the money used to prevent fraud on H-1B categories is being utilized to see if any employer is violating the terms of the H-1B visa. If that isn’t enough, the health care bill now before Congress SPECIFICALLY prohibits illegal immigrants,” Banerjee concludes. But the Joe Wilsons of the Republican world should realize that …

“Yes, illegal immigrants are here,” Banerjee admits. “They work for us. Many pay taxes and get sick. Most of them wind up in emergency rooms when they have something serious. The price tag for that ‘free’ medical care is staggering. I agree with Joe Wilson. Bless his soul. So what do right-wingers like this not so civil gentleman want us to do? Allow illegal workers to work in our kitchens, our gardens, even our homes in certain instances if it can be somehow excused, and as soon as they become sick, deport them like they were human toys. Now that’s a civil and humane way to be. It’s a prudent plan too if you lean toward the nonsensical. Nonsense is good. I’ve read Alice in Wonderland too.”

Obama’s bill states that illegal immigrants cannot buy private insurance plans with their own money under the new plan. In a way, the
Obama Administration is bending over backwards to pacify the anti-immigrant Republicans. “I think the language in the bill is a form of political pandering,” asserts Banerjee.