Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is being joined by 15 other states in a legal action against the Biden administration’s rule expanding taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to include Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.

The lawsuit argues that this move is unlawful and places significant burdens on states, which would be required to pay for the healthcare costs of illegal immigrants. States like Missouri would be forced to pay hundreds of millions in additional costs, according to the lawsuit, which also includes attorneys general from Alabama, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Virginia as plaintiffs.

The plaintiffs lay out a series of arguments in the lawsuit. For starters, they claim the Biden administration’s expansion of the term “lawfully present” to include DACA recipients is unlawful. The original language of the ACA limits healthcare benefits to U.S. citizens, nationals, and those who are “lawfully present” in the country.

The lawsuit alleges that DACA recipients are not considered to be “lawfully present” in the United States, which means they should not be entitled to taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits.

Did you know that on Nov.1 the Biden Harris administration imposes a new rule forcing states to fund health care for illegal aliens. This will bankrupt NY which has already spent $5 billion on free housing etc… Missouri @AGAndrewBailey⁩ Files Suit https://t.co/QHzEoFcQIN

— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) August 15, 2024

The plaintiffs also highlight the financial burden this move would have on states by compelling them to allocate limited resources to provide these benefits to those residing in the country illegally. "The American people are already struggling to make ends meet in the current economy; their paychecks should fund their own healthcare, not the healthcare of those here illegally,” the lawsuit states, also noting that the costs for this initiative would cost Missouri between $342 million and $462 million each year.

In a press release, Attorney General Bailey criticized the White House for trying to put an additional financial strain on states that are already struggling to handle the influx of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers into the country.

In his ongoing fight to protect Missourians’ tax dollars from misuse, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced today that he joined a 15-state coalition in filing suit against the Biden-Harris Administration over its rule treating illegal aliens as legal citizens and making states pay for their public benefits.

“Not only is the Biden-Harris Administration responsible for bringing illegal aliens into Missouri, they are also giving illegal immigrants access to citizen benefits for free, encouraging them to remain here illegally on the taxpayers’ dime,” said Attorney General Bailey. “The American people are already struggling to make ends meet in the current economy; their paychecks should fund their own healthcare, not the healthcare of those here illegally. I will continue to use every tool at my disposal to ensure that Missourians’ hard-earned dollars are not funding illegal immigration.”

Bailey’s right, of course. The border crisis has taken a serious toll on border towns and major cities across the country, with taxpayers being forced to foot the bill. The failure of the Biden administration to address the situation at the southern border has exacerbated the problem. This new move is nothing more than a slap in the face to states that are having trouble handling the constant influx of foreigners. Hopefully, the courts will put a stop to it.