NEW: Greg Abbott issues EO tracking illegal immigrant health costs in Texas, vows to have Biden-Harris admin pay for it

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Friday that will track the healthcare costs of illegal immigrants at Texas hospitals. Abbott vowed that the state would have the Biden-Harris administration pay the state back.  

Abbott posted on his social media, "Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Admin accountable for the consequences of their costly border policies. I issued an Executive Order directing HHSC to collect & report illegal immigrants’ healthcare costs. We’ll fight to ensure Texas is paid back." 

The EO states that it is in regard "to the collection of information by the Health and Human Services Commission to assess costs to the Texas public hospital system imposed by the federal government's open-border policies." 

The EO contains several measures, including to "direct Hospitals to collect information, beginning on November 1, 2024, regarding patients who are not lawfully present in the United States, including the number of inpatient discharges and emergency visits by and the cost of the care provided to such patients." This, however, is directed not to affect patient care.  

In addition, Texas hospitals will be ordered to "report annually, beginning on January 1, 2026, to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the Speaker of the House on the preceding state fiscal year's costs for inpatient and emergency care of patients not lawfully present in the United States as reported by Hospitals." 

"Texas should not have to shoulder the burden of financially supporting medical care for illegal immigrants," Abbott stated in a press release. "Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies.”