Advocates Ask Judge to Order Full Benefits for Immigrants

Boston Globe: Advocates today asked a single justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to declare the state's exclusion of thousands of legal immigrants from subsidized health coverage unconstitutional. The motion comes two weeks after the full court ruled that the exclusion likely violates the state's constitution. It also comes just days after the state Senate released its proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year without including any money for expanding services to the immigrants. In an interview with the Globe after the budget was released, Senator Stephen M. Brewer, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said the Senate would reinstate legal immigrants to the full state-subsidized health plan when a court tells lawmakers they have to. Today's legal motion on behalf of the immigrants by Health Law Advocates, a Boston public interest firm, noted Brewer's comments. "Expedited action on this motion is required in light of the fact that the policy branches of state government have indicated that they will take no steps to provide relief to the class unless and until this Court has acted," the motion stated.