In a bold move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a stalwart Republican, has enacted an executive order compelling public hospitals in the state to compile and report data on the immigration status of their patients.
The objective of this directive is to provide the state government with a clear picture of the financial burden borne by Texas due to the medical treatment of illegal immigrants.
As reported by Fox News, the executive order, known as GA 46, was issued last Thursday. It mandates the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to gather and report data on the healthcare costs associated with illegal immigrants who seek inpatient and emergency care at public hospitals. The ultimate goal is to quantify the financial impact of illegal immigrants' medical treatment and present the bill to the Biden administration, which Governor Abbott holds responsible for the surge of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S. Southern Border.
"Due to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' open border policies, Texas has had to foot the bill for medical costs for individuals illegally in the state," Governor Abbott declared. He emphasized that "Texas should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants."
The Governor further explained his stance, stating, "That is why I issued an Executive Order requiring the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect and report healthcare costs for illegal immigrants in our state." He vowed to hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the fallout of their open border policies, asserting that "Texas will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies."
The newly enacted rule will come into effect on November 1. Hospitals are required to submit the data on a quarterly basis, with the first submission due on March 1. From January 1, 2026, annual reports detailing the previous year's costs associated with medical care provided to illegal immigrants must be submitted to the governor, lieutenant governor, and the state's Speaker of the House.
The order also stipulates that hospitals must inform patients that their responses to questions about immigration status will not affect their access to medical care, as mandated by federal law.
However, the executive order has drawn criticism from the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Gabriel Rosales, the state director for LULAC in Texas, dismissed the order as "political rhetoric." He expressed concerns about the potential misuse of the data, questioning, "What are you doing to do with the data?"
LULAC has also raised concerns that the executive order could deter some immigrants from seeking necessary medical care. "It just creates a lot of fear that's unnecessary," Rosales argued, advocating for the creation of a "pathway to citizenship."
This development comes amidst calls from politicians in Texas and beyond for the Biden administration to take more decisive action to address the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Sergio Lira, the President of Greater Houston LULAC, highlighted the economic contributions of undocumented immigrants, stating, "Undocumented immigrants contribute $26.2 billion to this country, nationally. 2.6 billion dollars to the state and local taxes." He also noted that the federal government "subsidizes and supplements a lot of the medical costs, locally, statewide." Despite these contributions, the question remains: who should bear the financial burden of healthcare for illegal immigrants?
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