Mississippi taxpayers covered more than $10.5 million in Medicaid benefits for people the state auditor says were in the country illegally during federal fiscal years 2023 through 2025, according to a report from State Auditor Shad White.
White’s office said the Mississippi Division of Medicaid identified the spending after a follow-up analysis the auditor commissioned. The auditor’s report says federal law requires hospitals to provide emergency services regardless of immigration status and requires states to report how much taxpayer money is spent providing those services; the Division of Medicaid did not report the spending to the federal government until after White’s 2024 report, the office said.
“If this money had gone to benefit lawful citizens, it could have reduced our taxes, paid our teachers, paid our police officers—frankly anything would be better than serving as a magnet for illegal immigrants to come to the United States,” White said in the report. He said the federal government should “close our borders and enforce our immigration laws” and noted he pushed for a state law that makes illegal immigration a state crime, which he said passed this year.
The auditor’s office said the findings followed its 2024 review that flagged Mississippi’s failure to report such spending. The full report is available on the state auditor’s website under the “Reports” tab by searching “illegal immigrants,” the office said.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
