In a startling revelation, a July report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sheds light on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs’ (VA) appropriation of resources to provide medical care for illegal migrants. This revelation comes at a time when the VA is grappling with a staggering backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases, raising concerns about the allocation of resources and priorities within the department.

Unveiling the Report

The report specifically focuses on the operations of the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention healthcare facility, which collaborates with the VA. The facility engages in contracting with the Department of Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VAFSC) to process medical claims reimbursements for migrants who did not serve in the U.S. military.

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Healthcare for Illegal Migrants

In 2022 alone, the facility provided healthcare services to over 118,000 detained illegal migrants, incurring a cost of more than $63.6 million. Disturbingly, this figure is expected to rise even higher for the year 2023. The VA, however, denies directly providing or funding any health care services to non-veteran individuals in ICE custody. According to a VA spokesperson, the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) is responsible for providing and financing all health care services for individuals detained in its custody.

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Concerns from Veteran Advocacy

Veteran advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America has decried the information as “one of the worst insults to veterans.” The group emphasizes the need for clarity and transparency regarding the use of VA resources, highlighting the potential impact on veterans facing delays and backlogs.

Border Patrol Challenges

Shifting the focus to another critical issue, 2023 has presented overwhelming challenges for U.S. Border Patrol agents, with daily migrant numbers exceeding 10,000. Former U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in an interview with CNN, highlighted the hurdles faced by Mexico in meeting U.S. requests, citing funding, infrastructure, and staff limitations exacerbated by criminal activities.

Soure: News 4 SA