(ID Supreme) Court Rules Illegal Immigrants Are Residents

The Spokesman-Review (paper copy) ^ | 6-17-2008 | Rebecca Boone

[lilylangtree]

BOISE--The Idaho Supreme Court ruled Monday that an undocumented immigrant who was injured while living in Ada County is entitled to medical indigency assistance from the county.

A majority of the justices sided with Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, which had sued the Ada County Board of commissioners after it denied an application for medical indigency assistance from Javier Ortega Sandoval.

Sandoval had more than $187,000 in medical bills after he had a stroke while working in the Boise region.

The high court found that undocumented alien status doesn't affect the determination of whether someone is a resident. In other words, the concept of residency doesn't distinguish between citizens and those who entered the country illegally.

The ruling could have widespread impact. Some Idaho countries already provide emergency medical indigency assistance to illegal immigrants, but many do not, and hospitals cannot turn away emergency patients because of their inability to pay. That means hospitals may not be paid for the care.

www.spokesmanreview.com

[skeeter]

Back when California was full of people who considered themselves American first when the chief justice showed similar contempt for the will of the voters we recalled her.

You folks in other state better start considering something along those lines.

[Dante3]

That is exactly what is needed.

[Dante3]

BUMP