THE INNER-CITY NEWS - April 19, 2023 - April 25, 2023
Some Say Biden’s Expansion of Health Care for DACA Doesn’t Go Far Enough by Christine Stuart
New Haven Independent
Connecticut advocates and lawmakers applauded a move by President Joe Biden Thursday to expand health care coverage to DACA recipients, but said it doesn’t go far enough. The DACA program, established in 2012 under the Obama administration, provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to young immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children without proper documentation. Over 600,000 individuals, often referred to as “Dreamers,” have benefited from the program, allowing them to pursue education, work, and contribute to their communities. Until now, DACA recipients faced significant barriers to obtaining health insurance coverage, leaving them vulnerable to health risks and financial strain. Under Biden’s plan, DACA recipients will become eligible to apply for Medicaid and to enroll in Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges. “For more than a decade, Dreamers in Connecticut and across the country have done everything we’ve asked of them,” U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, said Thursday. “ They’ve gone to school, gotten jobs, paid taxes, and contributed to their local communities in extraordinary ways. I’m glad to see the Biden administration taking this step to finally get these kids access to quality, affordable health care, and I’m going to keep fighting for their pathway to full citizenship.” Camila Bortolleto, co-director of CT Stu-
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Joe Biden, at the time as former Vice President, speaks to a Connecticut crowd in 2018. Credit: Christine Stuart / CTNewsJunkie
dents for a Dream and DACA recipient, said it’s a step in the right direction. “This rule change by the Biden administration is a major victory for DACA recipients and their families and corrects an injustice from the Obama-era that denied access to health care through the ACA marketplace as well as Medicaid to thousands of DACA recipients in Connecticut,” Bortolleto said. “It is a step in the right direction and shows that expanding access to health care is the right thing to do. The Biden Admin understands this and now our CT elected officials must finish the job.” Bortolleto is also a member of the HUS-
KY for Immigrants Coalition which is pushing for health care coverage in Connecticut for all undocumented immigrants up to the age of 25. She said that’s why they rallied at the Connecticut State Capitol Thursday. She pointed out that DACA recipients are only a small portion of immigrants in Connecticut. She said DACA is an outdated program that is no longer taking new applications, which means many youth are not eligible for the program or its benefits. She said that’s why it’s so important for Connecticut to take action. However, there is stiff competition for the
money available at the state level. Sen. Cathy Osten, a Sprague Democrat who co-chairs the Appropriations Committee, said that public awareness of billions in budget surpluses have fueled spending expectations that her committee can not possibly meet as a result of fiscal guardrails like a cap on state spending. “I think everybody’s going to be disappointed,” Osten said. “I think there isn’t a group out there that’s going to be thrilled with what we do.” The bill, which advanced in March out of the Human Services Committee, would only cover undocumented children up to the age of 18.
Suspect Arrested For River St. Murder by NORA GRACE-FLOOD New Haven Independent
City police have arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly shooting and killing Alexander Pedraza in Fair Haven earlier this year. Asst. Police Chief Bertram Ettienne shared that news in a Monday morning press conference on the third floor of the city’s Police Department while joined by the homicide victim’s parents and wife. Ettienne said that police secured an arrest warrant for the suspect in that Jan. 18 killing on April 10 following a review of ballistic evidence and DNA found at the crime scene. Two days later, the police located the suspect on the New Haven Green and arrested him on charges of murder, criminal possession of a firearm, and carrying a pistol without a permit. His bond is set at $2 million and he was arraigned in court on April 13. Ettienne said the suspect allegedly owed Pedraza money, which spurred the altercation that ultimately left Pedraza dead. Pedraza, 40, was found wounded between Chapel and James Street on Jan. 18 after having been shot on River Street. He was later transported to Yale New Haven Hos-
pital where he passed away. Pedraza’s passing marked the fourth homicide of a brutal start to the year. Mayor Justin Elicker said that the arrest announced Monday signified the eighth homicide case to be closed so far in 2023. Pedraza’s parents, Andrea and Tómas Pedraza, attended Monday’s press conference along with Pedraza’s wife, Laura Cano.
“We were waiting for this day… I just want him to pay for what he did to Alexander,” Cano said of the suspect, “because he left his fiance and family suffering from his absence every single day.” Pedraza has two children aged 18 and 21 who currently live in Puerto Rico. Standing next to Pedraza’s father, who held a sign reading “Nobody has the right
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to take someone’s life,” Cano stated: “Rest in peace Alexander. We love you forever.” Chief of Police Karl Jacobson also offered updates on Monday about three incidents which took place this past Sunday. Those included two reports of sudden deaths as well as a shooting arrest. Jacobson said the police found an individual deceased in a vacant building at 173 Frank St. after receiving an anonymous tip. That individual had been reported missing prior to discovery of his body and was known to have a history of substance abuse, according to Jacobson. Police were also notified early Sunday that the body of a woman had been dropped off at Yale New Haven Hospital overnight. He said the police have found the vehicle which drove the deceased person’s body to 1450 Chapel St., but have not located the driver and the woman’s cause of death remains unknown. Also on Sunday, two patrol officers received reports of 10 gun shots fired along Exchange Street and Blatchley Avenue. A 17-year-old was caught running away from the scene, charged with wrongful possession of a firearm, and submitted to a juvenile detention facility in Bridgeport.
Staff Writers Christian Lewis/Current Affairs Anthony Scott/Sports Arlene Davis-Rudd/Politics
Contributing Writers David Asbery / Tanisha Asbery Jerry Craft / Cartoons / Barbara Fair Dr. Tamiko Jackson-McArthur Michelle Turner / Smita Shrestha William Spivey / Kam Williams Rev. Samuel T. Ross-Lee
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