Karoline Leavitt refuses to say whether emergency rooms should check migration status before treating dying patients
White House press secretary refuses to answer question on migrants in ER
- White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeatedly declined to answer a reporter's question regarding whether emergency rooms should check the immigration status of dying patients before providing treatment.
- Leavitt initially stated the question was for healthcare professionals and legal experts, before pivoting to criticise the Biden administration's immigration policies.
- Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), Medicare-participating hospitals must provide emergency medical screening and treatment regardless of a patient's ability to pay.
- Leavitt blamed the Biden administration for an influx of undocumented immigration, claiming it led to 'illegals' receiving 'free benefits' and committing crimes, which she deemed unfair to working Americans.
- The political debate includes Republican claims that Democrats are pushing for healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants, which Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have strongly denied.