Decries debate's shift from undocumented to legal immigrants

Washington, DC – Today, the National Council of La Raza expressed profound dismay with a proposal by Senators Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) which, while seeking to expand access to healthcare for unisured children, excludes legal immigrant children and pregnant women from coverage under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

“If the Senate is willing to debate increasing access to health care for uninsured children, there is no excuse for continuing to exclude legal immigrant children," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of NCLR. "There is bipartisan support for the Legal Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act, which provides health coverage to legal immigrant children and pregnant women under the SCHIP program; it is an essential ingredient of the SCHIP debate.”

“We have heard members of the Senate who opposed an immigration reform only weeks ago claim that that they support legal immigrants and are only concerned with illegal immigration," Murguia continued. "This proposal suggests otherwise. It is outrageous to mount an attack on legal immigrants, causing mothers-to-be and children in great need to go without the preventive and routine care needed to ensure the healthy development of a child,” she continued. “Congress cannot continue to relegate legal immigrants to a second-class status. We urge the Senate to act expediently to ensure that their SCHIP reauthorization bill covers these vulnerable families.”

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