Welcome to the Emergency Room. Papers Please.

[pampango]

http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2011/02/25/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.

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.
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I wonder if Arizona will offer training to doctors and nurses so that they can determine whether documents are real or forged. I doubt they teach that in medical or nursing school. ;)

Don't bother with the comments section. It's largely a cesspool.

[fittosurvive]

1. I thought they still had to treat those with emergencies.

[pampango]

3. They still would be obligated to treat them. They would then have to report them

to immigration authorities. Some think that it is counterproductive to society to scare away some people who are injured or may have contagious diseases.

[BlueCheese]

2. Dumb questions.

1) I assume it's illegal to drive without a license. Can undocumented immigrants get a a license? If not, isn't it already illegal for them to drive?
2) As to E-Verify--I would guess that using it is something Democrats would support as well?

[Shagbark Hickory]

4. I support it. But then again I am much farther to the

left of most democrats. So sometimes my opinions differ.

I think we ought to have some benefits and privileges of citizenship then once we do, we need to make sure who's entitled to them. Simple as that.

[emilyg]

5. +1