“Many of these people don’t have IDs, don’t speak English, don’t have documents, don’t have social security numbers, and are open about how they came to the U.S.”
Oklahoma State University (OSU) has been spending taxpayer money from the federal government to assist in the HIV treatment of over a thousand illegal immigrants, according to a new report from Border Hawk.
OSU receives federal money in order to treat low-income patients who have HIV with the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). According to the report, three clinics in Oklahoma received funds totaling $13.7 million from the program in 2024. A whistleblower who spoke to the outlet said that through this program, approximately 1,500 patient that have been treated using the funding from the federal government are also illegal immigrants.
“The staff takes great pride in protecting these people from federal oversight,” the whistleblower told the outlet. “Many of these people don’t have IDs, don’t speak English, don’t have documents, don’t have social security numbers, and are open about how they came to the U.S.”
The outlet reported that some staff working with the program at OSU have quit over their frustration with the program being abused by illegal immigrants. “I don’t want to work in an environment like this,” a former staffer said. “We have people from Russia, countries in Africa, Central America, the whole world it seems.”
In April, 31 out of the 466 patients at the clinic were illegal immigrants and did not have any identification, insurance, or a social security number. The whistleblower said that one of the illegal immigrant patients has been using the RWHAP program since 2014.
“The cost for this person would be extremely high due to how long they have been on the program. At the very least, it’s multiple visits per year,” the source told the outlet.
RWHAP recipients have a few set requirements, aside from having to provide citizenship or immigration documentation. For some patients, the treatment for HIV/AIDS can top $50,000 a year. Those in the program can also qualify for transportation to their treatments.
“There’s one recipient that a transportation service drives over 60 miles each way to bring him/her to the facility. All paid for via the grant,” the whistleblower said.
The Department of Health and Human Services said in response to the report out of the OSU treatment facility, “To qualify for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program services, an individual must meet residency standards for the jurisdiction where they reside, be diagnosed with HIV, and meet income requirement (a percentage at, below, or above the federal poverty level). Client eligibility is determined at the jurisdictional or clinic level. All activities must align with applicable law, including but not limited to statutes, executive orders, federal regulations and applicable judicial holdings, and must comply with Administration priorities and all applicable eligibility requirements governing the use of Federal funds.”
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