Illinois House Republicans demand Pritzker cut migrant services

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Illinois House Republicans want to cut migrant services as a way to handle the budget deficit facing Illinois.

The state is looking at a $3.2 billion budget deficit where Gov. JB Pritzker said it's the perfect opportunity to show "Illinois can govern itself."

Immigration-Chicago — FILE - Immigrants from Venezuela are reflected in a marble wall while taking shelter at the Chicago Police Department's 16th District station on May 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, FIle)
Charles Rex Arbogast

House Republicans' answer to that is cutting migrant services, where they claim billions are being wasted on undocumented immigrants.

"The state of Illinois provides better healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants than most Illinois families," said State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park). "In fact, Gov. Pritzker watched as the state spent more than $2 billion in taxpayer funds on healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants."

The healthcare program that covers migrants is called Health Benefits for Immigrant Adults (HBIA), which lets adults ages 42-64 receive medical coverage regardless of immigration status.

However, new applications to HBIA have been paused since the start of 2024, as too many migrants were applying. People who signed up before the pause are still covered by the healthcare, but no one has been allowed to sign up for HBIA since the pause.

House Republicans also say that migrants are hurting taxpayers when they use public food programs.

While some food stamp programs such as SNAP require a legal residency status, others don't, such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the School Breakfast Program, the National School Lunch Program, County Food Pantries and others according to We Got You Illinois.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is hiding the real cost to taxpayers that migrants bring to Illinois.

"If these sanctuary policies are as beneficial as he claims, then prove it," McCombie said. "Show the numbers, show the facts."

When it comes to the budget, Cabello said that he wants to bring the new Department of Government Efficiency to Illinois, saying the state should follow Elon Musk's DOGE and the federal budget cuts.

"Lets find out exactly how much money is going to help people and how much money is going to overhead," Cabello said. "Because there's probably way too much money going to the overhead."

Illinois Republican's will need Democrat support to be able to work on the budget, as the Democrats hold a super majority in Springfield.