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Texas Gov. orders hospitals to collect immigration data on patients
The move is part of Texas's broader strategy to challenge the Biden administration’s immigration policies.
overnor Greg Abbott, Austin, Texas. Image for representation purposes only. / Facebook/Greg Abbott
Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Aug.8 mandating that hospitals across the state inquire about the immigration status of their patients. The directive aims to assess the financial impact of providing medical care to individuals residing in the U.S. without legal authorization.
This latest action by Texas underscores a broader trend among Republican-led states, which have been enacting increasingly stringent immigration laws and measures. Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law requiring hospitals to collect patient immigration status information.
Governor Abbott’s order requires Texas hospitals to gather and report data on inpatient discharges and emergency visits by undocumented immigrants, as well as the associated costs of these services.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has been instructed to implement the new requirements starting Nov.1, with hospitals enrolled in Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other designated healthcare centers expected to comply.
In a statement accompanying the order, Abbott said "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."
Texas, alongside several other states, has passed legislation aiming to criminalize unauthorized immigration at the state level and empower state officials to prosecute suspected violators. These state-level efforts have faced legal challenges from the Justice Department, which argues that immigration policy is a federal responsibility.
Governor Abbott justified the order by citing record levels of migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, asserting that Texas has been disproportionately burdened with the costs of providing medical care to migrants entering the country illegally.
The move is part of Texas's broader strategy to challenge the Biden administration’s immigration policies both politically and legally.
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