Federal Judge Extends Block on Idaho's Common-Sense Immigration Law
Courts continue to obstruct legislation requiring immigrants to pay into the system before receiving benefits.
A federal judge has extended the legal block preventing Idaho from enforcing House Bill 135, a law that would require people to prove they are US citizens before accessing taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits. US District Judge Amanda Brailsford extended a temporary restraining order on Tuesday after hearing arguments in a lawsuit challenging the Department of Health and Welfare's plans to verify citizenship status for an HIV treatment program.
The judge granted preliminary class-action status in the lawsuit, which blocks the new law from denying HIV treatment to any immigrant patients who could benefit from the program, according to ACLU of Idaho spokesperson Rebecca De León, as reported by Kyle Pfannenstiel in the Idaho Capital Sun on July 15, 2025.
What HB 135 Does
House Bill 135, which Governor Brad Little signed into law earlier this year, requires immigrants to prove their "lawful presence" to receive public benefits. The law cuts publicly funded services that unauthorized immigrants can receive in the state, aiming to ensure that those who have broken US immigration law and don't pay taxes cannot access taxpayer-funded healthcare.
The legislation applies to various public benefits beyond the HIV treatment program, including food assistance, prenatal care, and crisis counseling services.
Legal Challenge Continues
The ACLU of Idaho and other legal groups sued state officials before the law took effect this month, claiming it violates the Equal Protection Clause and conflicts with federal laws. The groups represent five unnamed immigrants who rely on the program and an Idaho doctor who treats patients in the program.
Joanna Cuevas Ingram, an attorney for the National Immigration Law Center, argued that Idaho's law violates the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution because federal law defines eligibility for federal public benefits. However, Deputy Attorney General David Myers countered that extra eligibility requirements can be added to public benefits, pointing to recent federal guidance.
The federal Department of Health and Human Services recently revoked a Clinton-era interpretation that "improperly extended certain federal public benefits to illegal aliens," supporting Idaho's position.
Another Judicial Roadblock
This court roadblock represents yet another frustrating instance of the courts getting in the way of just laws that save taxpayers money and require immigrants to pay into the system before receiving benefits. Idaho lawmakers passed HB 135 to ensure fiscal responsibility and fairness - principles that should not be controversial in a nation of laws.