Unchecked illegal immigration places an unsustainable burden on Texas taxpayers. On April 25, 2025, Brandon Waltens of Texas Scorecard shared a shocking report from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) that confirms what we’ve been saying all along: illegal immigrants are draining our state’s resources at an alarming rate.
In November 2024 alone, Texas hospitals incurred a staggering $121.8 million in health care costs for individuals not lawfully present in the U.S., with over 31,000 hospital visits recorded.
Yes, you read that right: nearly $122 million in just one month.
The HHSC data, collected in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s Executive Order 46, paints a grim picture. Emergency department visits by illegal immigrants cost $37 million, while inpatient discharges racked up another $85 million. Of this total, $25 million was funded through Medicaid and CHIP, programs meant to support vulnerable Americans, not those who have broken our laws to be here. At this rate, the annual cost could soar to $1.5 billion. That’s $1.5 billion diverted from services like education, infrastructure, and public safety to subsidize health care for those who shouldn’t be here in the first place.
This isn’t just a financial issue, it’s a betrayal of Texas taxpayers. While law-abiding citizens struggle to make ends meet, often forgoing medical care to balance their budgets, illegal immigrants are accessing millions in services at our expense. The HHSC report shows that 4,982 inpatient discharges alone cost $62.8 million for non-Medicaid/CHIP patients, meaning hospitals, and ultimately taxpayers, are left footing the bill when these individuals can’t pay. Meanwhile, the federal government, which provides 70% of Medicaid funding, forces Texans to shoulder the remaining burden through state taxes. This is a double taxation nightmare, and it’s unsustainable.
At TFR, we believe in fiscal conservatism and limited government. That means prioritizing the needs of Texans, not illegal immigrants. Every dollar spent on health care for illegal immigrants is a dollar that could be invested in our communities, lowering property taxes, funding local schools, or supporting our veterans. Instead, we’re hemorrhaging funds to support those who have no legal right to be here. As the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reported in 2023, illegal immigration costs American taxpayers $151 billion annually nationwide. Texas, as a border state, bears a disproportionate share of this burden. It’s time to stop the bleeding.
Governor Abbott’s executive order to track these costs is a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. The HHSC will release its first yearly report in January 2026, but Texans can’t afford to wait. If November 2024’s $121.8 million price tag is any indication, the full quarterly data will likely reveal an even more devastating fiscal impact.
We call on our lawmakers to act now. Support efforts to strengthen border security, end illegal immigration magnets, and pass legislation to ensure that Texas tax dollars are used for Texans, not illegal immigrants.
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