Aliessa v. Novello
Court of Appeals of New York
96 N.Y.2d 418 (2001)
Relevant factsFree
Aliessa and other legal aliens (plaintiffs), including permanent residents and those permanently residing under color of law (PRUCOLs), suffered serious illnesses and had previously been eligible for New York Medicaid; after Congress's 1996 welfare reform gave states discretion over noncitizen benefits, New York enacted a law cutting off Medicaid for most PRUCOLs and imposing a five-year wait for aliens entering after August 1996.
IssueFree
Whether a state may deny public assistance to certain groups of legal aliens if authorized to do so by federal law.