On November 1, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s executive order GA-46 came into effect. While the order does not outright deny healthcare to undocumented individuals, it is designed to intimidate them into avoiding necessary care through the threat of being reported. The question arises: Is this an earnest attempt by Abbott to protect the state’s healthcare system, or is it another political tactic aimed at demonizing the vulnerable?
What is GA-46?
GA-46 mandates that all public hospitals in Texas collect and report the immigration status of patients seeking inpatient and emergency care. This data must be regularly submitted to the state government.
The order targets immigrants, portraying them as a strain on the healthcare system, and is part of a broader wave of anti-immigrant policies across the U.S. While the executive order might claim to protect the state’s healthcare resources, it could deter immigrants from seeking care, even though they have the legal right to do so. This risk undermines public health by discouraging necessary medical treatment.
The far-right often claims that immigrants are a burden on public services. However, tying up state hospitals with Abbott’s anti-immigrant policies is unlikely to ease the ongoing issues Texas hospitals face, especially those worsened during the poorly managed COVID-19 pandemic. The real issues are underpaid workers and excessive workloads, driven by the capitalist system—immigrants are not the cause of these healthcare challenges.
In 2021, a poll showed that about 30% of healthcare workers were considering leaving the profession, with many opting for early retirement after the pressures of the pandemic. By 2022, nurse turnover rates in Texas hospitals reached 25%, further straining an already overburdened system and setting the stage for a healthcare crisis.
Texas has also been making cuts to services for low-income residents. As of April 2023, the state removed 2 million people from its Medicaid program, leaving 19% of Texans without medical insurance. These cuts disproportionately affect low-income and immigrant families. The true burden on healthcare comes from systemic issues within capitalism, not immigrants.
The Underlying Racism: Denying Healthcare to All
Abbott and the Texas far-right have no real solutions for rising healthcare costs, so they scapegoat immigrants. In August, Abbott blamed healthcare costs on “open border policies” and claimed that Texans should not have to support medical care for “illegal immigrants.” This portrayal of immigrants as a financial burden is both racist and misleading. The real financial strain on Texas’ healthcare system comes from the state government’s refusal to accept federal Medicaid funds.
The Texas Legislature has repeatedly rejected Medicaid expansion, which would extend coverage to low-income adults and qualifying immigrant families. Accepting federal funds would not only guarantee more access to healthcare for Texans but also help cover the costs for immigrants needing emergency care. The state’s refusal to accept these funds harms the healthcare system for everyone, not just undocumented individuals.
Policies like GA-46 contribute to the red tape and bureaucratic obstacles that prevent vulnerable people from accessing healthcare.
A Political Failure
Although the Democratic Party positions itself as more progressive, it has failed to support immigrant communities. During the last election cycle, Democrats aligned with far-right, anti-immigrant rhetoric, abandoning their previous stance on immigration.
Both Democrats and Republicans have shown their inability to address the mounting crises facing working-class Americans. As a result, they have turned to divisive tactics, relying on racism and fearmongering to distract from their own failures. This political climate underscores the need for a mass movement outside the traditional two-party system, focused on expanding social, political, and economic rights for all, and challenging the policies of both corporate-driven parties.
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