Republican Legislator: Migrants attracted to Illinois' health care,
'soft-on-crime' policies
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 [May 07, 2024]
By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – The Illinois Secretary of State will not provide
any facial recognition, search service or photographs from their
database to any federal, state or local law enforcement agencies, if a
bill advancing in Springfield passes.
Now in the House, Senate Bill 2978 also ensures confidentiality of
documents submitted with an application for a driver's license. Migrants
in Illinois can now obtain a four-year license that serves as a valid
form of identification. Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved the change last
year. Prior to getting a standard license, migrants could get a
Temporary Visitor Driver's License.
State Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, said this attracts migrants to
the state and prohibits federal law enforcement from doing their jobs.
“Just like the health care bill is a magnet for illegal immigrants,
especially those who might be severely sick … what we’re doing as far as
criminal justice, it’s a magnet for illegal immigrants, especially those
that might be part of criminal gangs from Venezuela that we know are
actively operating in Illinois, in California, in other places," said
Plummer. "They’re operating a lot more here because we’re so soft on
crime and this bill is just another example.”
On the Senate floor, state Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said the
bill will make it where federal law enforcement cannot obtain
information about illegal immigrants who are suspects or highlighted as
a person of interest.
Bill sponsor state Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, said law
enforcement can get the data with a court order, judicial warrant or
subpoena for individual records.
“It provides that the Secretary of State must disclose those documents
and follow federal law,” said Feigenholtz.
Plummer said if the FBI, DEA, ATF, ICE or any other federal agency,
regardless of the issue, is just trying to enforce law, the law
enforcement in Illinois should work with them.
The bill passed the Senate and in the Illinois House awaiting further
action.
Plummer further explained after an initial budget estimate by Pritzker
for migrant health care of $550 million, that figure has ballooned to
about $770 million. Medicaid plans aren’t as costly as migrant health
care plans because the federal government covers 50 cents on the dollar,
he said. Those government health care plans are also “set in stone,” but
Plummer said the governor and his allies have promised the migrants are
a fee-for-service plan.
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Border Patrol agents conduct pat downs of migrants who crossed the
southern U.S. border illegally - U.S. Customs and Border Protection
“These plans are far better than what I get, you get, what the
average Illinoisan gets,” said Plummer. “So for every dollar we
would spend on Medicaid, these plans that the migrants get cost
about $1.75, compared to the dollar for Medicaid. There’s also no
federal reimbursement. This is how the program is ballooning. Now
everyone is saying this is going to cost a billion dollars, and by
the way they’re making moves to expand it further.”
In recent months, tuberculosis and measles has been found at Chicago
migrant shelters.
“The longer this plan exists and as generous as this plan is … it’s
like a magnet to attract migrants to Illinois, including sick
migrants. If you're a sick migrant you're heading to Illinois,"
Plummer said. "This is going to sink the Illinois taxpayer. We’ve
got a billion dollars of increases in the governor’s budget
recommendation just to cover the unknown bill that this is going to
be for the Illinois taxpayer.”
Pritzker introduced a near $53 billion state budget, which is up
from his first $40 billion budget in 2019.
Illinois became the first state to provide Medicaid-like coverage
with the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors and Health Benefits
for Immigrant Adult programs.
Immigration advocates say the benefits of providing health coverage
extend not only to the individual, but also to their family,
community and society at large. The University of Illinois Chicago’s
Great Cities Institute’s recent Benefits of Health Coverage for
Immigrants in Illinois report said migrants receiving benefits
through Illinois' programs have reported that it is easier to work
and look for work after receiving health care coverage.
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