It's been a busy week for Greg Abbott. On Monday, he celebrated the latest arrest from his "10 Most Wanted Criminal Illegal Immigrants" list. Later on in the week, news came out that nonprofit organizations are denouncing civil rights abuses committed in Operation Lone Star his administration's attempt at dealing with the rise in illegal immigration, the illegal drug trade, and human smuggling.
And on Thursday, the Texas governor issued an executive order directing hospitals in the state to collect data on the immigration status of patients. This directive, he said, is aimed at understanding the costs associated with providing medical care to individuals living in the U.S. without legal authorization. It directs hospitals to report their findings to the state's Health and Human Services Commission four times a year starting March 1.
Abbott justified the order citing the financial burden Texas is facing as a result of the large amounts of migrants who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border over the past years, while taking a jab at the Biden administration and presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the process:
"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's order mandates that hospitals begin collecting this information on November 1, and provide regular reports to state authorities. The order applies to hospitals enrolled in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and other healthcare centers identified by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Abbott's order is part of a broader trend among Republican-led states to enact stricter immigration policies in health care facilities. The DeSantis administration in Florida enacted a similar directive that mandates that hospitals that accept Medicaid must inquire about patients' immigration status, which prompted advocacy groups such as "We Are Florida Coalition" to promoted a "Decline to Answer" campaign since patients are not compelled to respond.
Critics of these orders argue that such measures could deter immigrants from seeking necessary medical care due to fear of legal consequences. Democratic Representative Sylvia Garcia of Texas accused Abbott "social engineering" and seeking "to make ICE officers out of doctors providing immigrants with medical care," according to CBS News.
Imelda Mejia, with the immigrant advocacy group Texas Rising, told ABC13 that the law will "throw patients for a loop," as they already "have a hard time navigating our health care system."
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