UNITED STATES—On May 14, President Joe Biden issued  a proclamation regarding policies enacted by former President Donald Trump revoking immigration Proclamation 9945 from October 3, 2019.

“The suspension of entry imposed in Proclamation 9945 of October 4, 2019 (Suspension of Entry of Immigrants Who Will Financially Burden the United States Healthcare System, in Order To Protect the Availability of Healthcare Benefits for Americans), does not advance the interests of the United States. My Administration is committed to expanding access to quality, affordable healthcare. We can achieve that objective, however, without barring the entry of noncitizens who seek to immigrate lawfully to this country but who lack significant financial means or have not purchased health insurance coverage from a restrictive list of qualifying plans. The suspension of entry imposed in Proclamation 9945 is also in tension with the policy set forth in section 1 of Executive Order 14012 of February 2, 2021 (Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans),” stated President Biden.

Proclamation 9945 was put in place to restrict the entry of people into the United States who were uninsured and unable to pay for health care.

According to the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), the  law was enjoined by another proclamation from November 26, 2019, with a limitation keeping, “the government from taking any action to implement or enforce the health insurance proclamation until the court resolves the case on merits or orders otherwise.”

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services defines the public Charge rule as:

“An alien who has received one or more public benefits, as defined in the rule for more than 12 months within any 36-month period. However, receiving public benefits does not automatically make an individual likely at any time in the future to become a public charge.”

For information visit the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website.

The American Immigration Council (AIC) noted the March 20, 2020 immigration report, the U.S. reached a joint agreement with both Canada and Mexico to suspend all “non-essential” travel through ports of entry at the border during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That same day, AIC reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an emergency regulation that permits the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to “prohibit … the introduction” of individuals when the Director believes that “there is serious danger of the introduction of [a communicable] disease into the United States.”