Kendall County Times

Illinois Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) criticized the state for the money it spends to provide health coverage to people living in the country illegally, commenting on the issue as the Title 42 regulations ended on May 12.

"Illinois plans to allocate more than a billion dollars of Illinois taxpayer dollars towards health care services for undocumented immigrants during the upcoming fiscal year," Rezin said in a Facebook post on May 11. "The money spent on this program inevitably reduces funding and resources available for other crucial and essential programs for Illinois citizens, including services for our developmentally disabled community.”

The post referred to a statement on Rezin's website, which noted that the Health Benefits for Immigrant Seniors program was implemented in 2020 to provide benefits to people living in the country illegally 65 and older, then expanded to include those over age 42, then renamed Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults. 

The measure "exceeded its yearly appropriation in the first month it was in place," Rezin said, adding that he program next year will cost taxpayers $1.1 billion. Rezin wrote that Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) had initially boasted about the program, but has since been more low key about his support.

A new piece of legislation, Senate Bill 122, was filed by state Sen. Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) on Jan. 24, which would go into effect July 1. It would expand the coverage to all adults living in the country illegally, including those ages 19 to 41 who weren't eligible for other coverage and are within a specific threshold of the poverty line. The expansion would add an additional $380 million to the program’s cost, raising it to almost $1.5 billion.

Those who are covered by the expansion "shall receive the same benefits as others in the state," according to the Illinois General Assembly. "The Department of Health Services must establish rules for available medical care, standards for eligibility and other conditions of participation that are the least restrictive as the rules for medical assistance."

Rezin referenced Title 42, which allowed federal officials to limit immigration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "The order authorized Customs and Border Protection to immediately remove migrants, including people seeking asylum, to prevent the spread of the virus," according to AP News. 

CNN Politics reported that officials expect a surge of migrants crossing the border now that Title 42 has ended. However, the Biden administration has not opened the border to all immigrants either.

"The Biden administration is also planning several changes that authorities hope will relieve pressure on the border and help officials respond," CNN said. "The Department of Homeland Security previously released a six-pillar plan that outlined the department’s operations post-Title 42, including setting up additional facilities along the border to process migrants," speed up transportation and expedite deportation.

Administration officials still want to use that plan, as well as a new regulation, which "would largely ban migrants who traveled through other countries on their way to the US-Mexico border from applying for asylum in the United States," according to CNN.