PHOENIX (AZFamily) —A GOP state senator is pushing forward with legislation that would require Arizona hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status during medical emergencies.
Sen. Wendy Rogers, a Republican from Flagstaff, has reintroduced the proposal for the second year in a row. Rogers insists the state should know how much it’s paying to cover health care for undocumented migrants and maintains the requirement won’t affect patient care.
Critics say the bill isn’t about accounting but about turning hospitals into border checkpoints.
“Then they should stay home in their home country if they want health care,” Rogers said last year while defending the same bill.
The legislation would require hospitals to ask patients whether they’re legally in the country. Critics warned the proposal would scare migrants away from hospitals over fears that a trip to the emergency room could lead to deportation.
“It’s not my job to determine if someone is dissuaded from care, especially if someone is not a citizen,” Rogers said.
Rogers hasn’t changed her position. The revived bill still orders hospitals to check immigration status, states that the information won’t affect medical care and won’t be shared with federal authorities such as ICE or Border Patrol.
Continue Reading: https://www.azfamily.com/2025/12/31/arizona-senator-revives-bill-requiring-hospitals-check-immigration-status/