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If an ER is taken over by immigrants, to the exclusion of American citizens, then the cost of the ER is a cost of immigration. The American taxpayers in the area are paying for it, but are denied its services. Whether the ER is funded any better than when Americans were permitted to use it is irrelevant to calculating it as a cost of immigration. As for the case of public schools in areas with heavy illegal immigrant populations, any halfway informed person would know that, without needing to read this article.

The ER costs the same whether its busy or quiet and regardless of who is being served. Every ER I have ever heard of uses a triage system, taking the most critically ill patients first, then working down to those with their colds and flu. That later group is worked through in the order in which they show up. I find it hard to believe that ER's are turning away people who have had heart attacks or been in auto accidents because they have a room full of people with sniffles. That doesnt happen. So if you have a case of sniffles too and are seeking treatment at the ER learn you are supposed to go to your doctor, not the ER for your non emergency needs.

Of course, no one is stopping you from following up on the writers the author cites. Someone who demands such Herculean effort of others must be willing to do some work himself, if does not wish to be outed as a hypocrite.

I didnt ask you or anyone to do any footwork for me. I only questioned the gullibility of those that accept as true a piece that doesnt offer any evidence for its thesis other than the "estimates" of other so-called "experts".

I find it hard to believe that ER's are turning away people who have had heart attacks or been in auto accidents because they have a room full of people with sniffles. That doesnt happen.

I had appendicitis and I was sent home three times, after being sent there by my doctor. The ER was busy looking at illegals with the sniffles, so they didn't actually have time to confirm that I had appendicitis and instead decided that I must just have cramps. They let me wait, curled up in agony on the floor, for six hours, though. While they took illegals with the sniffles. I had a long time to watch their supposedly "sick" kids playing around and eating Chicken McNuggets. Emergency-room-sick people do not generally eat, laugh, and play. I know this since I hadn't eaten for about a week. The room was literally full of people who were not having emergencies, and while I didn't inquire as to legal status, most of them were speaking in Spanish (which I also speak).

Luckily, on the fourth time (now days after the doctor first said it was really serious), I was about ready to die and my appendix was leaking, so my husband called an ambulance, and they had to take a closer look and perform some emergency surgery.

If an ER is taken over by immigrants, to the exclusion of American citizens, then the cost of the ER is a cost of immigration.....mrustow

The ER costs the same whether its busy or quiet and regardless of who is being served.....Dave S

Dave S , you are not taking into account that E.R.'s are built and staffed to accomodate the patient population they serve.

Our E.R. has the size and staff to serve the number of patients living in our County at the current time. Our County demographics is such that there are enough patients who pay their bills to keep our E.R. financially solvent.

If the population of our County were doubled by individuals who used our E.R. services but paid little or nothing in return, the E.R. staffing, equipment and medication costs would double but E.R. income would stay the same. Our E.R. would then go from a financially viable entity right into bankruptcy.