9. Arizona Proposes Law Requiring Hospitals to Check Immigration Status

Bloomberg.com recently reported on a proposed Arizona law, Senate Bill 1405, which would require hospitals to check whether patients are legally present in the United States.  Arizona is the first state to propose this measure, which is part of a state-wide effort to crack down on illegal immigrants.  

Medical professionals state that the law would discourage sick undocumented immigrants from seeking medical treatment at hospitals, which could lead to mass outbreaks of contagious diseases.  This would put them and the American public at great risk.

Proponents of the law say it is necessary because hospitals lose millions of dollars each year treating illegal immigrants in emergency rooms.  Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce, who was the main sponsor of Senate Bill 1070 which would require Arizona policemen to check the immigration status of individuals during a “lawful stop, detention, or arrest”, argued that the law would not prevent people from getting medical treatment, but would place the obligation on hospitals to check the immigration status of those seeking treatment.

The law would require hospitals to confirm that an individual being admitted to the hospital in a non-emergency case is either a U.S. citizen or legally present in the United States.  If the individual is an illegal immigrant, the hospital would be required to contact immigration authorities.  In emergency cases, if the patient is an illegal immigrant, the hospital would be required to call immigration authorities after the medical treatment is completed.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-15/ariz-may-require-hospitals-to-check-citizenship.html

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