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(The Guardian) Texas governor orders public hospitals to collect and report patients' immigration status
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed an executive order on Thursday ordering public hospitals in Texas to collect and report information on the immigration status of patients they treat, in order to assess the expenses of providing medical care of undocumented immigrants.
Under the executive order, hospitals must start collecting the information on November 1, and start reporting the data to the state authorities shortly after, beginning in March 2025.
“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,” Abbott said in a statement on Thursday, adding, “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.”
In a statement to the Texas Tribune, Carrie Williams, spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association said that they are reviewing the new order, adding that “right now, hospitals don’t ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment” and that “hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status.”
Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat who represents Texas’ 29th congressional district, called Abbott’s order “unacceptable” in a post on X on Thursday. Garcia accused the Governor of “social engineering” and trying to “make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care.”
Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed an executive order on Thursday ordering public hospitals in Texas to collect and report information on the immigration status of patients they treat, in order to assess the expenses of providing medical care of undocumented immigrants.
Under the executive order, hospitals must start collecting the information on November 1, and start reporting the data to the state authorities shortly after, beginning in March 2025.
“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,” Abbott said in a statement on Thursday, adding, “Texans should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants.”
In a statement to the Texas Tribune, Carrie Williams, spokesperson for the Texas Hospital Association said that they are reviewing the new order, adding that “right now, hospitals don’t ask about patient immigration status as a condition of treatment” and that “hospitals are required by law to provide life-saving treatment to anyone, regardless of ability to pay or status.”
Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat who represents Texas’ 29th congressional district, called Abbott’s order “unacceptable” in a post on X on Thursday. Garcia accused the Governor of “social engineering” and trying to “make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care.”
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