on immigration status. (12) Delaying or denying health insurance coverage because of immigration status can impede mental health and substance use prevention and early intervention interventions. Not acknowledging the impacts of trauma can impact mental health and substance use, and conditions may increase in severity without appropriate and consistent support and treatment. (13) Although individuals granted relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program are authorized to live and work in the United States, they have been unfairly excluded from the definitions of lawfully present and lawfully residing for purposes of health insurance coverage provided through the Department of Health and Human Services, including Medicaid, CHIP, and the health insurance exchanges. (14) On April 26, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule that would modify the definition of lawfully present used to determine eligibility for Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans and certain other health care programs. Codifying these protections in legislation is crucial to ensure individuals granted relief under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and those who gain new forms of administrative relief are not similarly excluded in future administrative action. This is even more imperative as more than a quarter of DACA recipients are currently uninsured as they await the finalization of the proposed rule. (15) Since immigration law evolves constantly, new immigration categories for individuals with federally authorized presence in the United States may be created. (16) Some States continue to unwisely restrict Medicaid access for immigrants who have long resided in the United States, fueling significant health inequities and increasing health care costs for individuals and the public. (17) Congress restored Medicaid eligibility for individuals living in the United States under the Compacts of Free Association as part of bipartisan