Thread: Facing Budget Shortfall, Texas Spends $250M on IA Care

Facing Budget Shortfall, Texas Spends $250M on Illegal Immigrant Care

Published August 20, 2010

| Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas spent at least $250 million in the past year for medical care and imprisonment of illegal immigrants and other non-citizens.

The House State Affairs Committee heard testimony in Austin. Lawmakers who convene in January could face a projected $18 billion budget shortfall.

Jerry McGinty, with the Texas Department of Corrections, says prisons last month had 11,766 inmates who are foreign citizens and housing them costs $171 million annually. The federal government reimburses 10 percent.

Rick Allgeyer, with the Health and Human Services Commission, said Wednesday that health care to illegal immigrants cost Texas nearly $100 million.

Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine says there could be significant effects if public agencies were asked to reallocate resources to check citizenship.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/20/fa ... latestnews

No prisoner should be treated better than America's military who are putting their lives on the line for Americans.

THAT law needs to be passed and enforced in full FOREVER.