While Democrats try to deny it, the reason Washington is shut down comes down to a single question: Should Medicaid, a program meant for low-income Americans, be used to subsidize healthcare for people who entered the country illegally?

The fight began with the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year. One of its key reforms ended a Medicaid loophole that allowed states to pass the cost of covering illegal immigrants on to federal taxpayers. The law required states to pay those costs themselves, cutting off a practice that blurred eligibility lines and drained billions. Democrats now want that provision repealed, and their refusal to compromise has prolonged the shutdown.

California shows the scale of the abuse. In 2023, the state budgeted $3.9 billion for medical services for illegal immigrants under Medicaid. Because the federal government typically reimburses 70% of state Medicaid spending, most of that burden fell on taxpayers nationwide. To further inflate reimbursements, California hiked provider taxes on hospitals and nursing homes, then recycled the money back to them through higher Medicaid payments.

On paper, it looked like billions in new state spending, which would qualify for more federal funds. In reality, it was a shell game designed to funnel Washington dollars into benefits for illegal immigrants while the state spent little of its own money.

Other states copied the scheme. New York approved $2.4 billion in 2024 to give full Medicaid benefits to illegal immigrants under 65. Illinois extended coverage to noncitizens over 42. The model is always the same: inflate Medicaid spending, capture federal dollars, and redirect the money to those who are not legally eligible. Texans, Floridians, and Ohioans have no say, yet their tax dollars are being drained to bankroll it.

Meanwhile, Medicaid itself is riddled with fraud and waste. Federal data show that at least five million ineligible people remain on the rolls. Improper payments cost about $30 billion every year and have topped $1.1 trillion over the past decade. A Wall Street Journal review found that between 2019 and 2021 alone, insurers took in $4.3 billion in duplicate payments for people enrolled in multiple states at once.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act was written to stop exactly this. It tightened eligibility checks, banned the recycling of provider taxes, and forced states to meet stricter reporting standards. The goal was simple: ensure Medicaid funds go to citizens and legal residents who qualify — not to those who crossed the border illegally or exploited loopholes.

Democrats claim their opposition to the Republican spending bill is about “defending healthcare.” That’s misleading. The issue isn’t whether Medicaid should exist — it’s whether Medicaid should keep paying for illegal immigrants. By holding up the budget until that access is restored, Democrats have shown their real priority: expanding benefits for those who broke U.S. law.

Medicaid already costs over $800 billion a year — more than 15% of federal spending. With the program’s sustainability in doubt, enforcing eligibility is basic common sense. Every dollar spent on illegal immigrants is a dollar taken from the American families Medicaid was created to serve.

Shutdowns are costly, but allowing Medicaid to remain a hidden pipeline for illegal immigrant coverage is worse. By siding with loopholes and manipulation over taxpayers, Democrats have made clear they would rather protect benefits for noncitizens than protect the program for Americans.