Harris County, Texas, Officials Under Investigation for Providing Medical Care to Undocumented Immigrants

Houston District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal has launched an investigation into Harris County Hospital District officials to determine whether they violated state law by providing "hundreds of millions" of dollars worth of medical care to undocumented immigrants in recent years, the AP/Austin American-Statesman reports. In a recent decision, Texas Attorney General John Cornyn (R) said that federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from receiving a number of the district's free and discounted preventive services. "If that is correct, there is a potential violation of a state law," Rosenthal said, adding, "If there's been a violation, I will proceed with a criminal investigation." Harris County Attorney Mike Stafford "warned" district and county officials to "weigh carefully the potentially significant legal consequences which may occur as a result of your actions." Rosenthal said that his investigation would likely target the district's board of managers, appointed by the Commissioners Court to oversee the district budget. According to Rosenthal, board members approved spending public funds on medical care for undocumented immigrants and may face felony charges of misapplication of fiduciary property, which carries a sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison when more than $200,000 is involved (AP/Austin American-Statesman, 7/22). Cornyn's decision was prompted by a Harris County Hospital District request to investigate the legality of care for undocumented immigrants. According to the Fort Worth Star-Tribune, hospital administrators were "trying to make it easier to treat undocumented residents" outside of the emergency room (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/13).