McHenry Times

State Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) is slamming the state’s Democrats for giving free healthcare to illegal immigrants. 

Wilcox’s comments come as a flood of illegal immigrants have crossed the U.S.’s southern border following the expiration of Title 42. 

“I'm guessing Illinois' one-of-a-kind free healthcare for undocumented immigrants is looking pretty attractive to those flooding our country's southern border right now. This op-ed was published in several Shaw Media outlets today,” Wilcox said on Facebook. 

Wilcox published an op-ed on Title 42’s expiration in the May 16 edition of the Northwest Herald. 

“Thursday, May 11 marked the official end of the COVID-19 health emergency. And while Illinoisans are pleased to know the days of masking, forced business closures, stay-home orders, and remote learning for schools are behind us, another element of the health emergency, Title 42, is also ending,” Wilcox wrote. “Title 42 is a provision that allowed the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to expel or restrict the number of migrants entering the United States to help prevent the spread of the disease. Now that it’s ending, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are already finding their way to border crossings, and the U.S. is preparing for a massive surge of non-citizens who wish to seek asylum in the United States.” 

The Senator also noted that the state "is getting major headlines for its one-of-a-kind program in the nation that provides undocumented immigrants 42 and older with free healthcare." The program, Wilcox said has ballooned over the last few years. 

"In Fiscal Year 2021, $67.3 million was allocated for a program serving those 65 and older, and in Fiscal Year 2022 that number grew to $188 million when the program was expanded to serve those ages 55 and up. For the current fiscal year, Fiscal Year 2023, the non-citizen free healthcare program was expanded even further to serve those ages 42 and older. The cost of providing free healthcare to non-citizens ages 42+ grew to a whopping $690 million, which exceeded anticipated costs for the program by $470 million,” Wilcox said. “As the Fiscal Year 2024 budget comes together, the cost of maintaining the 42+ free healthcare for non-citizens is estimated at a staggering $1.1 billion. However, legislation has been filed via Senate Bill 122 (Aquino, D-Chicago) to expand free healthcare for those in this country illegally to those aged 19 and older. This budget-busting measure is expected to cost $1.5 billion in its first year alone.” 

Wilcox underscored that the annual expansion of giving free healthcare to non-citizens "is happening at the same time that Illinois has underfunded healthcare services for citizens who are developmentally disabled by over a half-billion dollars over the last three budget years ($525 million)." He suggests reassessing budget priorities "when those here illegally are getting a bigger slice of the Illinois budget pie than Illinois citizens living with developmental and other disabilities.” 

“The Legislature is expected to adjourn on Friday, May 19, so budget discussions are in the final phase," Wilcox added. "Despite repeated requests by several of my colleagues and me that legislators get their priorities straight and ensure Illinois citizens first have the care and resources they need, the majority party is sending a pretty clear message of what is important to them. Sadly, taxpaying Illinois citizens that rely on state government for important services are not at the top of that list.”

Projected spending on healthcare for illegal immigrants for 2023 increases to nearly $1 billion. State Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) was one of several Republicans to sound the alarm over outrageous spending in the Medicaid program dedicated to illegal immigrants. 

“Year after year, we saw the majority party continue to double down on these expansions, which are not eligible for federal matching funds,” Spain said at a press conference, according to Peoria Standard. “The Medicaid program in the State of Illinois is our biggest area of spending.” 

Spain said the out-of-control spending threatens the state’s fiscal stability. 

“This billion-dollar hole, which is just the beginning, requires the General Assembly to exercise fiscal responsibility in both the short-term and long-term to ensure state budget sustainability,” Spain said.

Due to the federal government’s “open borders” policy – which has only gotten worse after Act 42 expired – Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been busing thousands of illegal immigrants to Chicago. Lightfoot sent a charged letter to Abbott on April 30 requesting he not send any more illegal immigrants to the city. Abbott and Texas have been regularly busing illegal immigrants to “sanctuary cities” such as Chicago where those who have entered the country illegally are provided with the status of ordinary citizens. 

“Since we began responding to the arrival of migrants sent by your delegation in August 2022, we have shouldered the responsibility of caring for more than 8,000 men, women, and children with no resources of their own,” Lightfoot said in her letter to Abbott. 

Lightfoot added that she was “sympathetic” to Texas's situation. 

“Though I am sympathetic to the significant challenges that border cities face, this situation is completely untenable. The national immigration problem will not be solved by passing on the responsibility to other cities.”