Ocasio-Cortez Dodges Questions on Health Care for Illegal Immigrants

During a CNN town hall on Wednesday night, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York avoided direct answers regarding whether illegal immigrants should have access to taxpayer-funded health care. The event featured her along with Senator Bernie Sanders, as they discussed the current government shutdown.

Jill Ireland, a California Democrat and insurance industry worker, posed a recorded question that asked if taxpayers should fund medical care for undocumented immigrants. Instead of a straightforward response, Ocasio-Cortez criticized Republicans for what she termed a “common lie,” accusing them of claiming Democrats want to use taxpayer dollars to fund healthcare for those in the country illegally.

She pointed out that federal law explicitly states that undocumented immigrants are not covered by programs like Medicaid or Medicare. “It’s as clear as day—this is the law of the land,” she remarked. Following that, she called out the Vice President for misleading statements regarding the emergency Medicaid program and illegal immigrants, labeling such claims as “total storytelling.”

Ocasio-Cortez emphasized that emergency medical services must treat anyone in need, regardless of their insurance status, saying, “I don’t want to live in a world where people need emergency care and their insurance status comes into play before they receive help.”

When CNN’s Caitlan Collins inquired if taxpayer-funded health care for illegal immigrants should be enacted as law, Ocasio-Cortez responded, “I do think health care is a human right. I think everyone deserves the chance to receive medical attention. But… federal law is federal law.”

Collins pressed further, asking if she would change the law if possible. Ocasio-Cortez hesitated, saying, “I don’t believe in that. I believe in a single-payer health care system where you can access the care you need without barriers.”