Democrats in California Governor Debate Back Healthcare for Undocumented Immigrants

Every Democrat questioned during this week's California gubernatorial debate supported providing healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants. The candidates took that position moments after warning that California's healthcare system is already too expensive and straining families, businesses and the state budget.

"We had a broken immigration system, and now you want to victimize the people who are working here and making the state run," Democratic candidate and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said when asked if he backed coverage for undocumented immigrants. He spoke after current Governor Gavin Newsom cut such coverage to reduce the state's ballooning deficit.

Former California congresswoman and fellow Democratic candidate Katie Porter faced a direct question on the costs of free healthcare for undocumented immigrants. "We can't afford to have people who are sick, who are making the rest of us sick," Porter replied. Her Republican opponent, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, interjected, "they shouldn't be here," prompting Porter to pause and look at him with bewilderment.

"When anyone doesn't have care, the rest of us are at risk when people don't get vaccinations," Porter continued. "When they don't go to the doctor, they wind up in the emergency room. They cause longer lines for the rest of us. They make our health care system push it to the brink."

"Immigrants, whether documented or not, work hard. They pay taxes and sometimes they get injured on the job or their children get sick," former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said when asked about the measure.

"It would be foolish to tell a family that they don't have access to the pediatrician or the family doc, or not be able to use the community health center where it wouldn't cost us so much to give them help access to good health care," Becerra added. "Instead, what will happen is that child will get so ill that they will have to take that child to the hospital. And what door do they enter? The most expensive door in the health care system? The emergency room door. Why do that and spend so much money when you can do it up front?"

The remaining Democratic candidates on stage, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, were not directly asked about providing healthcare to undocumented immigrants in the state. They did not state their positions during other debate segments on healthcare.

"The actual way we deal with health care in this state is to at least stop spending $20 billion a year on free health care for undocumented immigrants who shouldn't even be in the country in the first place," Republican candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton said during talk of reforming the state's healthcare system.

"When are we going to draw the line at any other crime? It's illegal. They enter the country illegally, we're not going to incentivize them to come here to take more of the resources that regular Californians aren't getting," Bianco added.

Before defending taxpayer-funded healthcare access for undocumented immigrants, several Democratic candidates argued over commitment to government-run healthcare. Steyer said he supports single payer "absolutely," while Becerra said California should "try to get to a Medicare for all program." Porter pressed Becerra to say if he backed "California having its own state-run single-payer system."

The push for expanded coverage came as candidates acknowledged costs. Steyer said healthcare is "eating up our budget" and "eating up every single family." Villaraigosa warned a state-run single-payer system would cost roughly $500 billion and require federal approval.

"It’s pie in the sky," Villaraigosa said.