Undocumented Immigrants in Texas Are Increasingly Avoiding Hospitals for Fear of Detention: 'It's Not Worth the Risk'

Undocumented immigrants in Texas are increasingly avoiding hospitals and delaying medical care due to fears of immigration enforcement, according to public health experts and recent data consulted by The Texas Tribune, raising concerns about worsening health outcomes and broader public health risks.

A 54-year-old woman in Edinburg exemplifies the trend. After falling and hitting her head at a family gathering, she refused hospital care despite ongoing pain and symptoms.

"It's not worth the risk," she told The Tribune, citing fears of detention and separation from her family after relatives were deported. She is one of many immigrants choosing to forgo care as enforcement policies expand.

State data shows a sharp decline in hospital visits among undocumented patients. From November 2024 to August, visits dropped by 32%, from about 30,000 to just over 20,000. During the same period, visits by patients legally present in the U.S. increased by 14%. The decline has been particularly steep in border regions, including Edinburg and Laredo, where some hospitals reported drops of nearly 50%.

Experts attribute the shift to both state and federal policies. Texas began requiring hospitals to ask patients about their citizenship status, while the federal government rolled back protections that previously limited immigration enforcement in sensitive locations such as hospitals. Although there is no confirmed presence of federal agents at Texas hospitals, the perception of risk appears to be enough to deter patients.

"We are seeing an exacerbation of some of these challenges," said Drishti Pillai of KFF, noting that immigrants have long used less health care than the general population, a trend now intensifying.

Federal policy changes have further deepened concerns. The Trump administration granted immigration authorities access to certain Medicaid data, including personal information such as addresses.

Health policy experts warn that this could discourage immigrants from seeking even emergency care. "If hospitals tell people that their Emergency Medicaid information will be shared with ICE, it is foreseeable that many immigrants would simply stop getting emergency medical treatment," Leonardo Cuello of Georgetown University told KFF Health News back in November.

Survey data futhers supports these findings. A November KFF poll found that about one in seven immigrants reported avoiding medical care due to fear of immigration enforcement, while roughly a third said they had skipped or postponed care in the past year.

Health professionals warn the consequences may extend beyond individual patients, as delayed care can lead to more severe illness, higher treatment costs and increased risk of disease outbreaks. "They're coming in with a higher level of acuity, they're sicker," said Dr. Ivan Melendez, a physician in Hidalgo County, told The Texas Tribune.