White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to say whether emergency rooms across the country should check immigration status before treating dying patients.
While speaking to the press on Thursday, Leavitt would not say if the Trump administration supported the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), which requires emergency rooms to treat anyone regardless of citizenship. The question came as Republicans argued that the government was shut down over health care for undocumented immigrants.
"Should ERs check immigration status before treating a dying patient?" a reporter asked.
"That's probably not a question for me to answer," Leavitt replied. "I think that's a question for healthcare professionals and legal access."
"Tens of millions of illegal aliens from all over the world to come into our country," she continued. "And then they allowed those illegals from all over the world to get free benefits."
"And there were higher wait times at hospitals under the Biden administration. We saw these illegals committing crimes all over our country, and they're getting things for free."
As the reporter pressed, Leavitt declined to say that dying immigrants deserved lifesaving treatment.
"I don't speak for emergency rooms across the country," she insisted. "I speak for the president of the United States. And that's what he believes on this policy."
