Republican offensive opens new fronts against undocumented immigrants in health and education

Until now, migrants in the U.S. did not have to declare their immigration status in order to access medical care in hospitals or for their children to attend school. In the past week, however, two proposals from two Republican-run states have come to light that would end that right to anonymity. Texas will require hospitals to report the immigration status of patients and Oklahoma wants to assess the cost of educating children who lack legal residency. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order that will force hospitals to ask patients whether or not they are U.S. citizens, and whether or not they have a residency permit. In addition, healthcare facilities will have to inform the authorities of the costs involved in the hospitalization of these patients and the medical treatments received.