Over the last five years, a staggering 600 immigrants without their papers were deported back to their native countries after they sought medical assistance at U.S. hospitals, while many of them were still unconscious, according to a report by the Center for Social Justice released Tuesday.
Undocumented patients are generally ineligible for public health insurance and unable to afford private health insurance. For some undocumented patients with insurance coverage, they still face deportation orders not by the U.S. government, but by hospitals seeking to avoid the costs of long-term care.
Hospitals are legally mandated to care for all patients who need emergency treatment, regardless of citizenship status or ability to pay. However, as soon as the patient is in a stable condition, that right ceases to protect them. Many immigrant workers without citizenship are also ineligible for Medicaid, the government's insurance program for the poor and elderly.
According to the Associated Press, two men were recently flown back to Mexico while unconscious after they were badly injured in a car accident.
Jacinto Cruz and Jose Rodriguez Saldana were recovering at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. They both had health insurance from jobs at a large pork manufacturing company, but neither had legal permission to live in America.
The hospital was unsure if their medical insurance would cover the long-term rehabilitation and decided to send the two unconscious men back to Mexico via a private jet.
In its defense, the hospital said they received permission from the men's families, but the families deny it.
According to the report, many hospitals try to contact immigration officers to report undocumented patients but say these calls are mostly ignoring, leading them to take action as they see fit.
