Arizona lawmakers are debating Senate Bill 1268, which would require hospitals receiving state funds to ask patients for proof of citizenship status.
Republican Senator Wendy Rogers, the bill’s sponsor, insists the information would not be shared with immigration authorities. Instead, the goal is to track how much Arizona spends on healthcare for undocumented individuals.
Critics, however, argue the bill could discourage people from seeking medical care out of fear that the data might be used against them. Democratic Rep. Patricia Contreras opposed the bill, stating it could threaten patient safety.
Despite the opposition, Rogers defended the legislation, emphasizing the need for financial accountability. “America must come first,” she said, stressing that the bill is about tracking expenses, not denying care.
If passed, hospitals would report proof of citizenship data quarterly to the Arizona Department of Health Services, though personal details like names and addresses would not be included.
“If someone is undocumented, or they have an undocumented family member or friend, and they know that the hospital is going to ask them questions about their citizenship, they are going to have the same question running through their head, which is, you know, ‘Why are they asking this question? Where is this data going to go? Am I going to have an ICE agent knocking at my door just because I went to seek emergency medical care?’” Noah Schramm, policy strategist for ACLU of Arizona, said.
“This is sort of being put in the category of pro-immigration enforcement,” Schramm said. “This really isn’t about immigration policy. It’s about health care, and it’s about people’s fundamental right to access, you know, basic medical services, emergency services, regardless of their legal status in the country.”
