Editor’s Note: The video above is from May 2025, when KXAN’s ‘Undocumented’ investigation initially aired.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Data newly released by the state shows more than 170,000 undocumented immigrants sought medical care in Texas after hospitals were required to start asking every patient about their immigration status.
In August 2024, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order directing hospitals to start collecting data “regarding patients who are not lawfully present in the United States” beginning Nov. 1, 2024, including the number of patients and the cost of care provided to those patients.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) previously released data showing the number of undocumented patients between November and February. In a new update, HHSC released data for March through May 2025. In those three months, a total of 61,628 undocumented patients were reported by hospitals, bringing the total since November to 171,211.
HHSC has not yet released updated numbers showing how many U.S. citizens, or those in the country legally, received medical care — nor the number of patients who declined to answer the question — meaning the new numbers lack wider context.
As of the end of February, only about 2.3% of patients were undocumented, while 84.8% were either a citizen or in the country lawfully. About 13% of patients declined to answer.
HHSC reports hospitals spent more than $312 million on care for undocumented patients between March and May, bringing the total since November to more than $760 million.
KXAN has also requested a further breakdown of the data, including the number of patients in each county across the state, as HHSC has previously released that data. A spokesperson for HHSC says that update is expected in the coming weeks.