Bill would reimburse states for costs of illegal immigrants

Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-N.C.) reintroduced legislation that would pay states back for funds spent on the presence of illegal immigrants.

Under the measure, states would receive compensation for public education, incarceration, emergency medical treatment and other public health services for illegal immigrants. The funding would come from foreign aid accounts.

{mosads}”Children have crossed into our nation, are funneled through our public schools and sent to our hospitals — yet states are not given adequate financial assistance or compensation to handle this influx,” Ellmers said in a statement.

The North Carolina Republican previously introduced the bill in the last Congress a month after debate over supplemental funds to address the surge of child migrants at the southern border.

Ellmers was one of the 26 Republicans who voted against a measure on Wednesday to freeze the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program, which allows certain illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to apply for work permits.