The Minnesota House voted Monday to strip health coverage from adult undocumented immigrants, capping off hours of impassioned pleas from Democrats not to leave people without care.
Lawmakers, who have until 7 a.m. Tuesday to pass a two-year $66 billion state budget, debated for nearly four hours over the measure before passing it with only one Democrat — House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park — voting with all Republicans in favor.
The chamber is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, requiring at least one DFL member to cross over in order for the bill to pass.
“For a group of folks who proclaim to be pro-life, this is the least pro-life piece of legislation I have ever seen,” said Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul.
Undocumented immigrants were allowed to enroll in MinnesotaCare in January following legislation Democrats passed in 2023 when they held the House and Senate. Over the first few months of this year, more than 20,000 people enrolled, one-quarter of them children.
Undocumented adults will be removed from the program at the end of the year if the legislation passes the Senate.
Hollins said the proposal will result in increased costs and financial trouble for rural hospitals and questioned how Republicans would respond to constituents if they ask why rural providers close up shop.
“What are you going to say — because I really hate immigrants?” she asked.
House Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, spoke in favor of the bill and said providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants threatens to “blow a hole” in the budget, noting California and Illinois are considering rolling back similar programs.
“It will send the clear message to Minnesota taxpayers that taxpayer-funded benefits are not a reward for breaking federal immigration laws,” Niska said.
Members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus decried the legislation at a press conference just ahead of the vote. They said Democrats offered to enact a multitude of other Republican priorities — including modifications to paid family medical leave — to avoid stripping health care from undocumented immigrants, but Republicans wouldn’t budge.
Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, said DFL legislative leaders had little choice but to revoke MinnesotaCare in order to reach a budget deal with Republicans and avoid a government shutdown.
“We offered them all of the things,” Mann said, “including multiple tweaks to this provision itself, and they said, ‘No, we will shut down the government. We will make sure that all Minnesotans do not get their SNAP and do not get their healthcare and do not get their waivers and do not get their services.’”
Republicans said removing the coverage was not about being uncaring, but rather a budgetary issue.
Rep. Jeff Backer, R-Browns Valley, who sponsored the bill revoking coverage, said lawmakers take an oath to serve their constituents and “that’s what this bill does.”
“It serves the hardworking, lawful Minnesotans,” Backer said. He said undocumented immigrants could purchase private health insurance on the market.
Niska said lawmakers are stewards of public money and allowing undocumented immigrants to access MinnesotaCare is “poor stewardship.”
“The government is not the church, it’s not a charity,” Niska said, “and the government is not your neighbor.”
A spreadsheet detailing the budget shifts says the legislation would save the state $148 million over four years, compared to Republicans’ claim of $600 million.
Democrats argue taking away health insurance will means immigrants will wait to seek medical care and wind up in the emergency room with critical illnesses. Since hospitals are required to treat people experiencing medical emergencies regardless of ability to pay, they’ll take on more uncompensated care, which taxpayers will wind up paying for, they said.
Democrats sought to amend the bill to allow undocumented seniors to stay on MinnesotaCare along with those with critical illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, hypertension, coronary artery disease and conditions that require dialysis services. It also would have allowed undocumented children who are on MinnesotaCare to remain enrolled when they turn 18.
That amendment failed on a party-line vote.
The bill moved on to the Senate for consideration Monday afternoon.
