Welcome to the Emergency Room. Papers please!

Arizona, which passed a controversial immigration bill last year, is again debating measures to discourage undocumented immigrants from living in the state.

A series of new bills, championed by Republican Senate President Russell Pearce, would make it illegal for such people to drive in Arizona. It would also require businesses to use the federal system called E-Verify to check the immigration status of potential employees. In addition, schools would be required to contact federal immigration officials if students can't provide proof of legal status. One bill would also attempt to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the Arizona to illegal immigrants.

Another would take the immigration battle all the way into the emergency room. If passed, the measure would require hospital personnel to verify immigration status of each person before they are admitted. If a person could not prove he or she was in the country legally, the hospital would be required to report that to federal immigration officials. If the person needed emergency care, the hospital would still be required to provide it under the rules spelled out in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which makes it illegal to deny care to anyone on the basis of his or her ability to pay.

According to the Arizona Republic, this last proposal has the state's health care workforce worried. Doctors, nurses and hospital administrators could be on the hook legally if they did not check immigration status and report those who appeared to be undocumented. Some are also concerned that Medicaid funding – partially paid by the state - could be withheld from providers and facilities that don't check immigration status and report offenders. This "compliance burden" could tax already swamped medical workers. There are also concerns about the threat to public health if illegal immigrants with communicable diseases stay away from emergency rooms for fear of being deported.

All of these measures are far from becoming law and have only passed through one legislative committee. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has not yet weighed in and the full Arizona Senate and House have not yet voted on the proposed bills. Even if they did pass, some could also, as with last year's Arizona immigration bill, face constitutional challenges. Several Republicans on the committee that approved the new immigration bills voted against them. There is a lot of resistance in Arizona to enacting more controversial immigration measures, due to the effect they could have on the state economy. Last year's law prompted some to call for boycotts.


Source: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2011...#ixzz1F1dwc6eZ

Nothing new. Arizona is a champion at looking down upon immigrants and this just proves the whole point. If you are in Arizona and are able to move out quickly, you should do that as soon as possible because that state is a gone case. Funny the Congressmen in DC are still sitting like they are deaf and mute.

What baffles me is that the people who are doing these things are too blind and illiterate to understand basic conceptions.

What if someone is in the country illegally and has an infectious disease like tuberculosis and they don't go to the ER because they are afraid someone will report them?
(For those who are not aware Tuberculosis has not been eradicated in third world countries and is HIGHLY infectious.) If they're not treated, they could spread it to anyone they're in contact with. The person could spread it to his/her spouse, kids, coworkers, etc.

You bring up good points, but what maddens me is the fed. gov. I don't understand how they are not bring up immigration! I mean this thing is becoming a domino effect.

^^ True

I have a feeling that AZ lawmakers are aware that this won't even become a law...honestly, you'd be out of your mind to think that this won't be a federal law suit in the making considering what happened to 1070. But they approve it anyway to send a message for the feds to do something. Who knows..maybe something good may actually come of it.

^^Yeah, most likely because it conflicts with a federal law requiring hospitals to stabilize all patients.

And people said the same thing back when Prop300 was a bill and also back when SB1070 was a bill. There were also conflicting issues back then just as there are now. I don't know what to think anymore.

Also another provision in the bill is the following: "You want to get married? Show me your papers!"

I think being undocumented and watching it all happen from the undocumented side of the spectrum I find it quite ugly. (racism, laws against undocumented immigrants, etc etc). However I also wonder... How is life for the people that make these kind of laws? It seams like they are always just thinking about how to make life worst for undocumented immigrants. Its all about us "legal citizens" and them "illegal/undocumented aliens" they are obsessed with it! And that my friends is also a very very ugly way to live!

The bill also proposed to check status for k-12 students....or a loophole that says their parents have to file a proof of resident upon enrollment and the schools are required to report if they can't show anything...which will totally affect the school system in the state. If the feds won't do anything to stop this, I don't know what will.