The Arizona proposal is trying to investigate health costs for illegal immigrants as the impact on taxpayers and hospitals has recently shaken California.
State Senate Bill 1268 will make state law ask anyone about immigration or citizenship status in the form of a hospital, including whether they are illegally in the country. Additionally, there are hospitals and the state government tracks the costs taxpayers need to cover for someone's immigration status.
“This is a bill that I run to promote accountability. It doesn't compromise on the ability of those who serve and are treated in hospitals,” Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers, sponsor of the bill, said in a speech on the floor last week.
California Coast Guard Captain issues an alarm as immigrants from enemy countries flood Pacific oceans
Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix. (DSZC via Getty Images)
“The information is not passed on to other agencies. If they need care, they will be treated. The bill is to allow Americans to know where the tax is headed,” she continued.
However, critics of the bill believe it will serve as a deterrent for those seeking healthcare, and believe it could have a broader negative impact.
“Whenever we ask people to disclose their immigrant status, it knows that people don't want to get into those settings,” state Democratic Sen. Eva Burch said, explaining her vote for the law.
“It's bad for public health in general when people aren't seeking care,” she added, arguing that cost concerns are unfounded as many people in the country still illegally pay public health expenses through taxes.
The bill passed the state Senate 17-12 along the party's line and is now in the hands of the majority of Republicans. Once you pass that chamber, you end up on the Democrat Katie Hobbs' desk for final approval or veto.
Mexico breaks international law with cartels, Americans suffer from consequences
This photo shows immigration at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (US Border Patrol)
For immigration compensation, click here
The proposal faces scrutiny for spending $9.5 billion on health care for illegal immigrants, and critics argue that this is a waste of money. The expenditure is based on California law launched in January 2024 to ensure that immigration status is irrelevant when applying for public interest.
“There's another example of a completely wrong prioritization for California Democrats. They've almost doubled the state's budget over the past decade, but a third of Californians can't meet their basic needs,” Fox News contributor and founder of Golden Together, Steve Hilton, told Fox News Digital at the time.
“We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, 'Where did our money go?' And there is free health care for these ideological obsessions – for those here.
Trump reports that illegal immigrants will meet at historic lows in the first month of their inauguration
Then-President of Former Donald Trump attended the City Hall, officiating by then-South Dakota Governor Christinoem, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center and Fairgrounds in Oaks, Pennsylvania on October 14, 2024. (Im Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
The return of the Trump administration has led to a massive decline in the recent weeks as the US Customs and Border Protection encounter with more than 8,300 immigrants in February.
“Under the leadership of (President Donald Trump) and (Homeland Security Secretary Christinom), we saw just 8,326 encounters at the lowest southwest border recorded by the US Border Patrol in February 2025,” CBP posted on Saturday. “The mission is clear: we will secure borders, enforce the law and protect American sovereignty.”
Click here to get the Fox News app
