Legislator proposes legislation to prevent illegal immigrants from accessing Medicaid benefits
California Congressman Kevin Kiley, a Republican, has put forth a bill aiming to prohibit states like California from granting Medicaid enrollment to undocumented immigrants. Kiley believes that implementing this legislation could potentially save California a substantial $6.5 billion annually. It is worth noting that in January 2024, California expanded Medicaid enrollment to encompass all undocumented immigrants.
In a statement on the bill, Kiley emphasized that this legislation is a common-sense approach to preserving taxpayer-funded healthcare benefits for those who lawfully qualify. The main focus is on prioritizing the needs of American citizens and legal residents, all while promoting fairness and fiscal responsibility.
According to Kiley, it is challenging for many Americans enrolled in Medicaid, a publicly funded healthcare system for low-income individuals, to find doctors.
According to Kiley X, California is currently spending a whopping $6.5 billion annually to provide free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. This significant amount of money is being used to cater to the healthcare needs of individuals who are not legal residents of the state. Meanwhile, Kiley X points out that there are many citizens within California who are unable to access quality healthcare or see a doctor when they need to.
California is currently in a special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom to “Trump-proof” the state. The session aims to provide $25 million for state and local lawsuits against the Trump administration and an additional $25 million for legal aid, primarily for deportation defense. This comes as California has sanctuary state laws that limit state and local law enforcement agencies from actively assisting federal immigration officials.
California has around 2.7 million undocumented immigrants and has recently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s executive order that terminates birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants. Currently, a preliminary injunction is in place to halt the order until the case can be thoroughly reviewed in court.
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