All of a sudden, California's Gov. Gavin Newsom scales back his free health care rides for illegals

 

By Monica Showalter

After staunchly defending his bright idea to extend free health care to illegal aliens as "not on my docket," California's leftist Gov. Gavin Newsom has gone into sudden reversal.

🚨 LA Times: Governor Newsom calls for walking back free healthcare for illegal aliens in California as costs for coverage have exceeded billions more than what was initially projected & the state faces likely challenging economic times ahead.https://t.co/iQKzI8KWah

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) May 14, 2025

Two days ago, he was still digging in his heels:

UPDATE: Newsom still needs to close more than half of a $45 billion budget deficit created by his excessive spending. So far he has refused to roll back free health care for illegal immigrants, which he passed in 2022 at a cost of over $3 billion/year. https://t.co/rccrtd8grB

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) May 12, 2024

He was so adamant, he called for schools to be cut, anything but halt free health care to fresh-off-the-boat illegals, which to normal people would have seemed like common sense. The state is facing a $78 billion budget hole and health care for illegals amounts to at least $10 billion of it.

This is his fiscal picture, taking multiple bailouts from his own state's rainy day funds.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, only days after receiving a $3.44 billion loan, requested an additional $2.8 billion from the state to fund Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program that also covers illegal immigrants, his office has confirmed. pic.twitter.com/aL3VLJr3WI

— NTD News (@NTDNews) March 20, 2025

But this was him just last year:

Wake Up America, This Is The Cost Of Voting Democrat

“Gavin Newsom and California Democrats are spending $5 billion this year to give free health care to all illegal immigrants”

“To balance the budget, they're proposing to cut $500 million to school facilities”

“The State is… pic.twitter.com/9ew5YbMgbK

— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) May 16, 2024

Earlier that year, he called health care for illegals "a fundamental right," never mind the schoolkids:

California taxpayers are now responsible for the full cost of full Medi-Cal benefits for every low-income illegal immigrant who chooses to live in California. No federal matching funds. No limits on coverage. Newsom: "It's a fundamental right." Column:https://t.co/hIkoejCPTX

— Susan Shelley (@Susan_Shelley) January 6, 2024

But after all that resistance, both last year and just a few days ago, he suddenly, he switched course, turned on a dime. Suddenly, he is all in for ending new enrollments of illegals and charging existing illegals a concessionary $100 a month for their health care, still far less than what other citizens pay, beginning in 2027 when he is well out of office.

Now it comes to light what probably has been going on.

According to a buried detail in the New York Times:

The cuts come as the Trump administration is using its federal powers to pressure Democratic-led states to eliminate benefits for undocumented immigrants. As she targeted a California cash aid program, Kristi Noem, the Homeland Security secretary, said Monday, “If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over.”

According to Homeland Security's press release:

LOS ANGELES - Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles Field Office issued a Title 8 subpoena to the State of California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). This program provides benefits to aliens who are ineligible for Social Security benefits because of their immigration status.

The subpoena requests all records from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services – who administers the state program – to determine if ineligible illegal aliens received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) from the Social Security Administration, between January 2021 to present.

The Times sees some kind of connection, but doesn't want to admit the obvious: That Newsom's sudden quest for fiscal discipline might just be a bid to dissuade Homeland Security from investigating just how he has been using federal funding for illegals, which is illegal.

The Federalist points out that he probably is:

Red States Are Paying For California’s Illegal Aliens’ Health Care

Gov. Newsom is abusing the Medicaid system to pay for illegal immigrants’ health care and taking more money from taxpayers in other states.https://t.co/UCgE4Ioeam pic.twitter.com/9l17gXgfp5

— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) March 24, 2025

Seems the Trump administration, by looking into their finances, has suddenly made Newsom sing soprano about fiscal discipline, accounting for every penny. Prior to that, he didn't care, because he had Joe Biden to lay the bills on. But under President Trump, the gravy train's over. This is as much a victory for Trump as it is his peace agreements in the Middle East and his shutdown of Biden's open border. It's called winning, forcing a recalcitrant Democrat to stop taking taxpayer cash to pay illegals, padding his congressional seats with their presence and getting actual votes to ensure his permanent power. Trump should take a bow for this, because Newsom has been forced to face reality.

As for Newsom, this sums it up well:

Behold this snake shedding his old skin for new skin. Never forget he remains a snake & will always be a snake.

California governor proposes pausing expansion of health care to low-income immigrants #Federalbudget #Legislature #Healthplan #Immigrationhttps://t.co/NhKWx1rPwS

— Gerard de Marigny (@GerarddeMarigny) May 14, 2025

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/05/all_of_a_sudden_california_s_gov_gavin_newsom_scales_back_his_free_health_care_rides_for_illegals.html