Idaho bill targets prenatal care, food assistance, other services for certain immigrants
An Idaho lawmaker introduced a bill last week to remove service options such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling, and prenatal and postnatal care for immigrants in the U.S. without legal status.
House Bill 135, sponsored by Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene, would allow the government to establish lawful presence requirements for people to access public assistance. The legislation also would remove many of the current exceptions when it comes to verifying someone’s legal status — including medical care for new mothers, vaccine assistance and food for a dependent child.
“Our state has a finite amount of resources,” Redman said while presenting his bill. “I believe those precious resources need to be prioritized for the most vulnerable citizens in our state.”
Redman did not make himself available for an interview Friday. The bill was introduced earlier in the week without opposition and is expected to receive a future public hearing.
It’s unclear how big an impact the bill would have if it became law. Data on the number of unauthorized immigrants in Idaho who use the services the bill targets are unavailable, so it’s impossible to know how much money the government might save, according to the bill’s statement of purpose.
Immigrants lacking legal status already are ineligible for many public programs, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
For example, people must be citizens or immigrants holding legal status to gain access to food assistance programs, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s website.
A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment, citing a policy not to speak on pending legislation.
Redman’s bill still allows unauthorized immigrants to access emergency medical services.
Last year, Redman and Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, presented an identical version of the bill, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. It failed to advance out of a House committee.
At the time, Redman told the committee that the bill removed all the services that lawmakers could excise under federal law.
The goal was to make Idaho “less attractive” to immigrants, Redman said.
Ruby Mendez, co-executive director of Latino and immigrant advocacy group PODER of Idaho, called the bill “disappointing.”
“They are targeting our communities in their most vulnerable moments,” Mendez told the Statesman in an interview. “It’s just a way to cause fear and really attack our community.”
But the community is resilient, Mendez said, and will find ways to support each other.
Marielena Vega, board chair for the Idaho Organization of Resource Councils, said she already sees people in the community struggling with barriers to health care — whether that’s a broken-down car or issues affording medical treatment.
Taking away any type of assistance is already “extremely detrimental,” she told the Statesman.
“I just don’t think it’s a good idea,” Vega said. “It’s going to create more harm than good.”
