February 8, 2021 IN: Education, Health, Immigration, National
First 100 Days – Bimonthly Policy Recap (Feb 8)
Welcome to SEARAC’s new bimonthly e-newsletter providing policy highlights from the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris Administration. We will be sharing updates on the actions of the new administration that impact Southeast Asian Americans. If you have questions or want to learn more about any of the policies that SEARAC is tracking, contact National Policy Director Kham Moua at kham@searac.org.
DOJ drops lawsuit against race-conscious admissions at Yale
The decision to drop a Trump-era lawsuit against Yale for its race-conscious, holistic admissions policy leaves intact opportunities for all students, especially marginalized and underrepresented students like Southeast Asian Americans, to access higher education. SEARAC supports this withdrawal of the harmful lawsuit.
- Next steps: SEARAC continues to support affirmative action as a critical civil rights policy.
- Read more: SEARAC’s statement on the Yale lawsuit and why it was harmful
Biden signs executive order on Medicaid and ACA enrollment
President Biden signed an executive order strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a special three-month open enrollment period for uninsured and underinsured individuals through the federal marketplace. Additionally, the order requires that HHS review all executive and agency policies that may have weakened or created barriers to access Medicaid or the ACA marketplace and consider suspending, revising, or rescinding such policies.
- Next steps: SEARAC continues to advocate for increasing access to healthcare for all Southeast Asian Americans and looks forward to working more closely with the White House to ensure our communities have access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
- Read more: Executive Order on Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act
Biden signs nine immigration-related executive orders
A series of executive orders related to immigration were issued on Day One of the Biden administration, including actions on the Muslim and African Ban, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), interior enforcement, the border wall, and more. Interim interior enforcement priorities were announced in a Department of Homeland Security memo and went into effect last week.
Despite operating under a new administration, ICE continues to tear families apart, taking advantage of the court-ordered temporary stay in President Biden’s deportation moratorium, which a Texas judge extended on Jan. 29 for an additional 14 days, until Feb. 23.
- Next steps: SEARAC urges the Biden-Harris Administration to immediately end deportation flights and fully adopt the priorities laid out in the letter on ending Southeast Asian deportations that SEARAC and partners sent last month.
- Read more: Executive Order on the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and Priorities
