Mediaboss Marketing

Arlington County, Virginia, is known for being welcoming. Just across from Washington, D.C., the county is home to many national monuments and tourist attractions and is routinely rated as one of Americas best places to live (as well as one of the most expensive). Unfortunately, that rating seems to have gone to the County Boards head. The Arlington County Board is re-evaluating the possibility of extending taxpayer-funded housing grants to illegal aliens, in defiance of both state law and the wishes of its own citizens who would foot thebill.

Arlington County currently offers housing grants to some low-income renter households, paying a significant portion of their monthly rent with taxpayer funds. Arlington County has historically restricted these grants only to U.S. citizens and lawfully present individuals, as required by Virginia law. The criteria the County sets out are already overly permissive, because as FAIR explains in the introduction of our latest population study some categories of lawfully present individuals, like those with Temporary Protected Status or DACA, are in fact illegal aliens. Restricting aid to lawfully present foreigners isnt enough for radical activist groups like the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC), though. They are now working with the County Attorneys Office to make every illegal alien in this expensive county eligible for housinggrants.

Even the Countys own study on the program shows what a burden paying illegal aliens rent would be. This study notes that only 40 percent of survey respondents, by far the lowest support of any proposal in the study, supported expanding housing grants to any illegal alien living in Arlington County. Adding just 50 new illegal alien families to the program would cost a whopping $421,800 per year according to the study, in addition to more money for existing mixed-status families i.e., households with a mix of illegal aliens and U.S.-born citizens. Arlington residents know that a handout of over $8,400 a year in taxpayer funds per illegal alien household, and the additional costs they impose, are a recipe for attracting social issues and fiscal burdens even if their County Board does not seem to share theirconcerns.

The workarounds to Virginia law that open-borders activists have proposed are also far-fetched. These activists claim that publicly funded need-based grants are not public assistance and therefore usual Virginia restrictions do not apply. Their other proposal is even more telling. The activist group unsurprisingly states that the County should simply give the program funding and administration to a nonprofit like the group itself. FAIR has covered extensively federal funding being handed out to NGOs that support illegal aliens, and this playbook is also repeating itself in counties like Arlington across the country with local taxpayerfunds.

Ironically, the high cost of living in Arlington County is one of the few things insulating this sanctuary county from the worst consequences of illegal immigration in other jurisdictions. Free housing for illegal aliens in New York City and Massachusetts has been a complete disaster for American citizens stuck with massive bills and out-of-control migrant crime. Arlington residents, and all American citizens, deserve better than their money being spent on making life easier for immigrationlawbreakers.

See the rest here:
One of America's Best Places to Live Considering Handouts for Illegals, Despite Resident Opposition | FAIRUS.org - Federation for American Immigration...

WASHINGTON On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), joined his colleagues on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) including Ranking Member Rand Paul, M.D. (R-Ky.), and Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting additional information on Jose Antonio Ibarra. Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant who entered the country illegally in 2022, has been charged with the murder of Laken Hope Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University on the campus of the University of Georgia.

The senators letter highlights Ibarras lengthy criminal history. In 2022, Ibarra was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) near El Paso, Texas after illegally entering the United States, but was paroled and released. In the months leading up to Laken Hope Rileys murder, Ibarra had multiple encounters with state and local law enforcement, including charges of reckless endangerment of a child in New York City and a misdemeanor shoplifting citation in Georgia. Despite consistently demonstrating a clear disregard for U.S. law, Ibarra was never taken into Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) custody.

In the letter, the senators question DHSs ability to effectively secure our homeland following the tragic murder of Laken Hope Riley. The senators requested DHS provide all documents and records related to Ibarra including the Alien file and communications between and among DHS, CBP, ICE, and federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies regarding Ibarra.

Full text of the letter can be foundhere.

###

Go here to see the original:
Sen. Johnson Joins Letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas Requesting Information on Illegal Immigrant Charged with ... - Senator Ron Johnson

Immigrants wait to be processed after they crossed the border into the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 22. Eleven states and D.C. offer taxpayer-funded health insurance to some immigrants without legal status. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Immigrants wait to be processed after they crossed the border into the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Dec. 22. Eleven states and D.C. offer taxpayer-funded health insurance to some immigrants without legal status.

A growing number of states are opening taxpayer-funded health insurance programs to immigrants, including those living in the U.S. without authorization, even as Republicans assail President Joe Biden over a dramatic increase in illegal crossings of the southern border.

Eleven states and Washington, D.C., together provide full health insurance coverage to more than 1 million low-income immigrants regardless of their legal status, according to state data compiled by KFF Health News. Most aren't authorized to live in the U.S., state officials say.

Enrollment in these programs could nearly double by 2025 as at least seven states initiate or expand coverage. In January, Republican-controlled Utah will start covering children regardless of immigration status, while New York and California will widen eligibility to cover more adults.

"These are kids, and we have a heart," said Utah state Rep. Jim Dunnigan, a Republican who initially opposed his state's plan to cover children lacking legal status but relented after compromises including a cap on enrollment.

There are more than 10 million people living in the U.S. without authorization, according to estimates by the Pew Research Center. Immigrant advocates and academic experts point to two factors behind state leaders' rising interest in providing health care to this population: The pandemic highlighted the importance of insurance coverage to control the spread of infectious diseases; and some states are focusing on people without legal status to further drive down the country's record-low uninsured rate.

States have also expanded coverage in response to pleas from hospitals, lawmakers say, to reduce the financial burden of treating uninsured patients.

All states pay hospitals to provide emergency services to some unauthorized residents in emergency rooms, a program known as Emergency Medicaid. About a dozen states have extended coverage for only prenatal care for such people. Full state-provided health insurance coverage is much less common, but increasing.

An estimated half of the people living in the U.S. without authorization are uninsured, according to a KFF-Los Angeles Times survey. That's more than five times the uninsured rate for U.S. citizens. Immigrants lacking authorization are ineligible for federal health programs. But states can use their own money to provide coverage through Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program for low-income people.

California was the first state to begin covering immigrants regardless of their legal status, starting with children in 2016.

"This is a real reflection of the conflict we have in the country and how states are realizing we cannot ignore immigrant communities simply because of their immigration status," said Adriana Cadena, director of the advocacy group Protecting Immigrant Families. Many of the millions of people without permanent legal residency have been in the United States for decades and have no path to citizenship, she said.

These state extensions of health coverage come against a backdrop of rising hostility toward migrants among Republicans. The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended nearly 1.5 million people in fiscal year 2023 after they crossed the southern border, a record. GOP presidential candidates have portrayed the border as in crisis under Biden, and dangers of illegal immigration, like increasing crime, as the nation's top domestic concern.

Simon Hankinson, a senior research fellow specializing in immigration issues with the conservative Heritage Foundation, said states would regret expanding coverage to immigrants lacking permanent legal residency because of the cost. Illinois, he noted, recently paused enrollment in its program over financial concerns.

"We need to share resources with people who contribute to society and not have people take benefits for those who have not contributed, as I don't see how the math would work in the long run," Hankinson said. "Otherwise, you create an incentive for people to come and get free stuff."

Most adults lacking authorization work, accounting for about 5% of the U.S. labor force, according to the Pew Research Center. The state with the most unauthorized residents with state-provided health insurance is California, which currently covers about 655,000 immigrants without regard for their legal status. In January, it will expand coverage to people ages 26-49 regardless of their immigration status, benefiting an estimated 700,000 additional Californians.

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, D.C., and Washington state also provide full coverage to some people living in the U.S. without authorization. New York and Washington state are expanding eligibility next year.

Oregon, Colorado, and New Jersey in recent years began covering more than 100,000 people in total regardless of legal status. Minnesota will follow in 2025, covering an estimated 40,000 people.

While states are expanding coverage to people living in the U.S. potentially without authorization, some are imposing enrollment limits to control spending.

The cost of Utah's program is capped at $4.5 million a year, limiting enrollment to about 2,000 children. Premiums will vary based on income but cost no more than $300 a year, with preventive services covered in full.

"The pandemic highlighted the need to have coverage for everybody," said Ciriac Alvarez Valle, senior policy analyst for Voices for Utah Children, an advocacy group. "It will make a huge impact on the lives of these kids."

Without coverage, many children use emergency rooms for primary care and have little ability to afford drugs, specialists, or hospital care, she said. "I am not sure if this will open the door to adults having coverage, but it is a good step forward," Alvarez Valle said.

Colorado also limits enrollment for subsidized coverage in its program, capping it at 10,000 people in 2023 and 11,000 in 2024. The 2024 discounted slots were booked up within two days of enrollment beginning in November.

Adriana Miranda was able to secure coverage both years.

"You feel so much more at ease knowing that you're not going to owe so much to the hospitals," said Miranda, 46, who is enrolled in a private plan through OmniSalud, a program similar to the state's Obamacare marketplace in which low-income Coloradans without legal residency can shop for plans with discounted premiums.

Miranda left Mexico in 1999 to follow her two brothers to the United States. She now works at Lamar Unidos, a nonprofit immigrant rights group.

Before she had health insurance, she struggled to pay for care for her diabetes and racked up thousands of dollars of debt following foot surgery, she said. Under the state program, she doesn't pay a monthly premium due to her low income, with a $40 copay for specialist visits.

"I was really happy, right? Because I was able to get it. But I know a lot of people who also have a lot of need couldn't get it," she said.

OmniSalud covers only a small fraction of the more than 200,000 people living in Colorado without authorization, said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative. But starting in 2025, all low-income children will be able to be covered by the state's Medicaid or the related Children's Health Insurance Program, regardless of immigration status.

"There is a growing acknowledgement that people regardless of their immigration status are part of the community and should have access to health care in a regular, reliable manner," Fox said. "If they don't, it adds costs and trauma to the health systems and communities."

KFF Health News senior audio producer Zach Dyer contributed to this report.

KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

View original post here:
Immigrants without legal status get public health insurance in more states : Shots - Health News - NPR

Sign up for The Brief, The Texas Tribunes daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.

The U.S. Department of Justice has threatened to sue to stop a new Texas law that allows state police to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border unless Gov. Greg Abbott backs off of enforcing the law.

The new law, known as Senate Bill 4, is unconstitutional and will disrupt the federal governments operations vis--vis immigration and border enforcement, an agency official told Gov. Greg Abbott in a letter first reported Thursday by the Houston Chronicle and later posted on social media by a CBS News reporter.

If Texas does not formally refrain from enforcing the law by Jan. 3, the agency will pursue all appropriate legal remedies to ensure that Texas does not interfere with the functions of the federal government.

A person with knowledge of the letter confirmed that it had been sent.

An Abbott spokesperson said Thursday that Texas is prepared to fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of the law, adding that the governor signed the law "to help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas." On X, formerly known as Twitter, Abbott said the Biden administration "not only refuses to enforce current U.S. immigration laws, they now want to stop Texas from enforcing laws against illegal immigration."

"Ive never seen such hostility to the rule of law in America," Abbott wrote. "Biden is destroying America. Texas is trying to save it."

The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.

The new law makes crossing the Texas-Mexico border between ports of entry a Class B misdemeanor. If a migrant agrees to return to Mexico, a judge can drop the charges. Otherwise, a suspected offender faces a potential six-month jail sentence with longer sentences for repeat offenders.

Abbott signed the law Dec. 18 and its slated to take effect March 5.

The DOJ said in its letter that only the federal government can enforce immigration laws an assertion backed up by federal court rulings, including by the U.S. Supreme Court. That argument is at the heart of a lawsuit brought last week by El Paso County and immigrants rights groups to overturn the law and stop it from taking effect.

Abbott has said that the federal government is shirking its duties when it comes to immigration enforcement and has therefore left that job to the state.

Even so, the law has drawn the ire of Mexican officials. Mexican President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador has also threatened to challenge the law.

The DOJs threat came as welcome news to Democrats.

Asking local police to hunt down Texans who look like immigrants doesnt make us safer: in fact, it takes police away from investigating real crime, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, said in a statement. The federal government must block this unconstitutional anti-immigrant policy before it takes effect.

Read more here:
U.S. Department of Justice says it'll sue if Texas enforces new law punishing illegal border crossing - The Texas Tribune

December 29, 2023 | Austin, Texas | Press Release

Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.

Texas has bused:

Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administrations refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Bidens open border policies.

2023 HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:

Governor Abbott Announces New Texas Border Czar Mike Banks

In January, Governor Abbott announced the new position of Texas Border Czar to oversee border security in President Biden's absence at a press conference on a Texas border wall construction site in San Benito. Mike Banks serves as Special Advisor on Border Matters to the Governor and as the State of Texas' first-ever Border Czar.

As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas' fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation, said Governor Abbott.

Texas National Guard Expands Operation Lone Star Efforts To West Texas

The Texas National Guard expanded its Operation Lone Star mission to El Paso in response to the unprecedented number of illegal border crossings in the area earlier this year. The Texas Air National Guard provided four C-130J Hercules aircraft to expedite movement of personnel and vehicles to the far western region, with tactical troop movements also occurring across Texas.

I am so impressed with the OLS staff, as well as with soldiers from Task Force West, said Maj. Gen. Ronald Win Burkett, Operation Lone Star Commanding Officer. Over 400 personnel and 40 vehicles were repositioned in El Paso within a 72-hour time frame.

El Paso operations are now an ongoing focus of Texas' efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border.

WATCH: DPS Busts Fentanyl Lab In Houston Disguised As Car Rental Business

On January 30, DPS raided a fentanyl pill labdisguised as a car rental businessin Houston. Inside the facility, DPS discovered pill press machines, more than 17 lbs. of possible fentanyl precursors from China, suspected counterfeit Xanax pills laced with fentanyl, and fentanyl-laced Oxycodone. Authorities also found cocaine, ecstasy, methamphetamine pills, a stolen vehicle, three pistols, and a rifle.

Governor Abbott Deploys New Texas Tactical Border Force

In May, Governor Abbott announced the deployment of the new Texas Tactical Border Force to the Texas-Mexico border to respond to the growing border crisis.

With President Biden ending Title 42, the Governor enhanced Texas unprecedented border security efforts with the tactical deployment of hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers to join the thousands already deployed as part of Operation Lone Star and serve on the new border force for targeted responses as the nation braced for a spike in illegal immigration.

Governor Abbott Signs Package Of Border Security Bills, Deploys Marine Barriers

Governor Abbott signed a series of border security legislation passed during the 88th Regular Legislative Session into law at the Texas Capitol on June 8. This package of six bills expanded Texas' unprecedented efforts to hold the line and protect Texans from the record level of illegal immigration, weapons, and deadly drugs pouring into Texas from Mexico caused by President Biden's refusal to secure the border.

Governor Abbott also announced the deployment of new marine floating barriers to deter illegal crossings in hotspots along the Rio Grande River to proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry.

DPS Brush Teams Arrest 41 Illegal Immigrants On Private Property In Eagle Pass

In June, DPS Brush Teams in Eagle Pass arrested 41 illegal immigrants from Venezuela after crossing the Rio Grande River and stepping onto private property. The individuals ignored troopers' warnings not to enter and all were charged with criminal trespass.

WATCH: Human Smuggler In Stolen 18-Wheeler Leads DPS On High-Speed Pursuit

A smuggler driving a stolen 18-wheeler led DPS troopers on a high-speed pursuit in La Salle County on June 17. During the pursuit, the Frio County Sheriffs Office successfully deployed a tire deflation device, and the driver crashed into several signs and an electrical pole before bailing out.

DPS found 18 illegal immigrants inside the cab of the truck. All were referred to Border Patrol.

Governors Abbott, Noem, Pillen, Reynolds, Stitt Band Together To Secure Border

In August, Governor Abbott held a press conference in Eagle Pass with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to provide an update on their joint efforts under Texas' Operation Lone Star to respond to President Biden's reckless open border policies. The border visit came after Governor Abbottsent letters to America's Governorsin May requesting support for Texas border security mission following President Biden's decision to end Title 42.

In total, 14 statesArkansas, Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyominghave stepped up to support Texas' efforts and deployed personnel and resources to secure the border in President Biden's absence.

Operation Lone Star Secures Fronton Island From Ruthless Mexican Cartels

In November, Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers secured Fronton Island in the Rio Grande River to gain operational control and prevent cross-border criminal activity from Mexican cartels.

The island was long known as a hotspot for cartel smuggling operations involving narcotics, weapons, money, and high-value individuals. The densely wooded island provided concealment for transnational criminal activity and has been a problem for decades according to law enforcement familiar with the area.

Texas Air National Guard Helps Law Enforcement Seize Over 800 Lbs. Of Narcotics

Texas National Guard members assigned to Task Force South seized more than 800 lbs. of narcotics being smuggled across the Texas-Mexico border in a 10-day period in November.

The work our service members are performing along the Texas border is imperative to national security, said Lt. Col. Wayne Sanaghan, 432nd Air Expeditionary Group Commander. Over the last ten days, weve successfully prevented approximately 845 lbs. of narcotics from being trafficked into our country. We are proud of our Texas National Guard members on this mission and are grateful for our partnership with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Texas National Guard Engineers Install New Anti-Climb Barrier In Brownsville

Throughout 2023, Texas National Guard Engineer Special Response Teams repaired existing concertina wire barriers damaged by illegal crossers. In December, the engineers began installing new anti-climb barrier (ACB) near Brownsville.

Placed behind the reinforced concertina wire, the ACBwhich has more concertina wire attachedis deployed to prevent the use of ladders or other scaling devices to illegally cross from Mexico into Texas.

Governor Abbott Signs Historic Border Security Measures In Brownsville

On December 18, in front of the Texas border wall in Brownsville, Governor Abbottsignedinto law a transformative package of border security legislationpassed duringSpecial Session #3andSpecial Session #4of the 88th Texas Legislature.

"President Bidens deliberate inaction has left Texas to fend for itself. Today, I will sign three laws to better protect Texasand Americafrom President Bidens border neglect," said Governor Abbott. "These laws will help stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas, add additional funding to build more border wall, and crackdown on human smuggling."

WATCH: Texas National Guard Continues To Secure The Border In 2023

The Texas National Guard's river patrol, brush teams, and engineering operation are force multipliers along the Texas-Mexico border, helping law enforcement partners thwart transnational criminal activity and illegal immigration. Heading into 2024, Operation Lone Star will continue to be supported by a dedicated and adaptable force of Texas National Guard soldiers, ready to serve and protect Texans.

"Every day I put the uniform on and when I come to work, I feel like I'm doing my part," said Spc. Robert Wincher, Task Force Center Laredo. "I feel like I'm making an impact here on the border."

Read the rest here:
Operation Lone Star Bolsters Historic Border Security Mission In 2023 - Office of the Texas Governor