The United States Border Patrol encountered more than two million illegal aliens since October last year — more than the population of Idaho. Despite boasting a red-state image, Idaho invites illegals into our state, and the welfare system, with publicly funded handouts like food and healthcare.
Though still a far cry from California-style policies offering sanctuary for illegals, Idaho remains complicit in the Biden administration’s treasonous crisis “management” by continuing these handouts. To take a stand, the Gem State must adopt a zero-tolerance policy against taxpayer support for illegal immigrants.
Spending on illegals isn’t outright fraud because it’s centered around programs designed to serve them. Federal law generally prohibits illegal immigrants from accessing public benefits, but there are many exceptions and loopholes.
Look at healthcare; handouts include coverage of prenatal care and postnatal care for up to one year, immunizations, and treating communicable diseases — which include the common cold and lifestyle-related infections like sexually transmitted diseases.
Data from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare reveals Idahoans funded over 3,800 of such claims through Medicaid since the 2020 fiscal year. As of June of this year, the cumulative price tag for these claims nears $45.6 million.
What’s more concerning is the degree to which look-the-other-way policies are cropping up at the federal level that states are expected to go along with.
Recently, the USDA recommended ending the requirement for providing social security numbers to prove legal status for food stamps. This offers a de facto permission slip for enrolling illegals in government programs against federal law by simply ignoring their citizenship status. It also makes it harder for states to maintain program integrity independently.
Engineered incompetence is not the only instance where the Biden administration is creatively getting illegals onto the government dole.
This year, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador joined a suit with 14 states to oppose the administration’s new rule allowing illegal aliens to qualify for Obamacare subsidies. This new rule would improperly count Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients as “lawfully present,” adding about 200,000 participants to a program already wrought with fraud.
Though many of these issues are caused by federal negligence, inaction, and undermining, Idaho’s policymakers are not helpless. To fight these initiatives, Idaho must work to turn off the magnet for those who have no legal right to be here.
One simple solution is for Idaho to end handouts for illegal immigrants. Exemptions to the federal ban on illegals in government programs are optional, and Idahoans don't have to, nor should they, go along with them.
Such legislation was introduced in the 2024 legislative session but ultimately died in committee. This bill would have ended taxpayer-funded nutrition benefits, immunizations, prenatal care, postnatal care, and catch-all medical treatments for illegals.
Another solution would be for Idaho to cross-check eligibility on various programs. There is considerable overlap in enrollment. For example, between 93% and 99% of those enrolled in Idaho’s six largest welfare programs are also enrolled in Medicaid — which asks about citizenship for enrollment. Using Medicaid applications to screen the legal presence of individuals in other programs would allow for more robust program integrity.
Finally, Idaho outsources many government programs to third-party private organizations. Some of these organizations mainly provide services for refugees and other migrant groups. Idaho should bolster its vetting process for these contractors to ensure they aren’t also unlawfully offering services for illegal immigrants through their taxpayer-funded efforts.
It is critical for lawmakers to seriously consider these options when they arrive at the statehouse next year. Turning America into the world’s welfare state is costing citizens dearly. It is no wonder Americans are most likely to rank immigration as their top issue — even passing “government” as the lead concern.
Idahoans bear the cost of benefits for illegals through higher taxes and the invisible tax on their savings through inflation. Sustaining illegal immigrants on programs means less room for cutting taxes or returning surplus dollars to residents.
Funding illegal immigration only exacerbates the United States government’s growing spending problem, where the national debt approaches $106,000 per citizen. As the cash in your pocket loses value, everyday purchases like groceries, gas, and rent become less manageable. This, combined with the declining value of one’s savings, effectively ends a family’s prospects for owning a home or meeting other financial goals. Americans already cannot afford to fund the government, let alone handouts for any “citizen of the world” who wants them.
Every year, known illegal border crossings from Mexico surpass the entire population of the Gem State. Supplying them with taxpayer-funded supplies and services lays out the welcome mat for those who have no legal right to be here. Idaho must take the inverse approach of failing states like California. We must stop funding handouts to illegals on the backs of our residents.
