Does New York fund health coverage for undocumented people?

A frequent claim amid the federal government shutdown is more nuanced.

Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and World Farm Animals Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Claims that New York uses federal funding to provide health coverage to undocumented people have been frequent. Is that true?

• Rules and Regs: Climate smart communities and energy storage incentives.

• A new bill would insert New York into a review from the United Nations that the U.S. has now opted out of.

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🏥 Does New York provide health coverage to undocumented people? Yes and no.

One claim that’s been aired repeatedly in recent days amid the shutdown of the federal government is that some states, including New York, fund health insurance for undocumented immigrants.

Because that claim has been made in the context of the shutdown, it’s been implied or outright stated that New York uses federal funding to provide that health insurance. Republicans have said they’re fighting to stop that.

A lot of this depends on how you define someone as an undocumented immigrant or “illegal alien,” the federal term for that status.

If you define an undocumented immigrant as someone who isn’t known by the federal government — someone totally off the books — then the answer is no, New York does not use federal dollars to fund their health coverage.

People who aren’t considered “lawfully present” in the U.S. can’t be approved to receive federally funded benefits.