PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks about border at RNC
Texas Governor Greg Abbott took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday to show his support for former President Trump’s border policies.
TEXAS – Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Thursday requiring hospitals to collect and report the cost of medical care for migrants who crossed the border illegally.
The executive order requires hospitals to collect information on “patients who are not legally present in the United States” beginning November 1, 2024.
This information must be reported to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission no later than March 1, 2025, and data must continue to be reported quarterly.
Beginning January 1, 2026, an annual report will be sent to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
“Increased spending on Texas hospitals providing health care to persons not legally present in the United States places a burden on the Texas health care system, including by predictably increasing the cost of health care for all Texans,” the executive order states.
READ MORE: Texas Governor Greg Abbott criticizes Biden at RNC over border issues
Governor Abbott posted on social media that Texans should not pay for migrants’ health care.
“Texas will hold the Biden-Harris administration accountable for the consequences of its open borders policies, and we will fight to hold Texas accountable for their costly and dangerous policies,” Abbott said in a statement.
US Customs and Border Protection
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that there were 2.4 million encounters with migrants between October 2023 and June 2024.
