Gov. Abbott orders Texas hospitals to report costs tied to undocumented immigrants

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott talks about the border at RNC

Texas Governor Greg Abbott took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday to show his support for former president Trump's border policies.

TEXAS - Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order on Thursday requiring public hospitals to collect and report healthcare costs for migrants who crossed the border illegally.

The executive order calls on hospitals to collect information on "patients who are not lawfully present in the United States" starting on November 1, 2024.

That information must be reported to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission no later than March 1, 2025 and continue to report data quarterly.

An annual report will be sent to the Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Speaker of the House starting on January 1, 2026.

"Increased expenditures for Texas hospitals providing medical care to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States imposes burdens on the Texas healthcare system, including by predictably increasing the costs of medical care for all Texans," reads the executive order.

Governor Abbott posted on social media that Texans should not have to foot the bill for healthcare provided to migrants.

"Texas will hold the Biden-Harris Administration accountable for the consequences of their open border policies, and we will fight to ensure that they pay back Texas for their costly and dangerous policies," Abbott said in a statement.