A federal judge has ruled Hawaii's government must continue providing lifesaving dialysis and chemotherapy treatments to Pacific Island migrants.
Judge Michael Seabright granted a temporary restraining order on Tuesday preventing the state from instituting a new, limited health insurance programme that would save 15 million US dollars.
His decision came as a relief to migrants from the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and the Marshall Islands who argue the United States and Hawaii governments had not been living up to a health obligation promised after U.S. nuclear weapons tests in the region half-century ago.
The ruling keeps in place broad health coverage for dialysis, chemotherapy, prescription drugs and doctor visits.