A state audit has revealed that Illinois has spent over $1.6 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants, with costs dramatically exceeding original estimates. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration is now under scrutiny for failing to control spending and allowing enrollment to grow far beyond expectations.
The Legislative Audit Commission ordered the review after concerns were raised over the state’s ability to fund these programs. The audit found that a program meant for seniors over 65 was supposed to cost $224 million over three years. Instead, actual spending reached $412.3 million, nearly doubling projections.
This J B Pritzker sponsored Illinois "audit" is so fake 🤣 Also if it takes 1.6 Billion to provide healthcare for around 6000 Illegals, that tells u how much tax payer money was stolen by Brandon Johnson admin to provide healthcare for the 100s of thousands of Illegals in…
— Olivia Jones (@BlackMAGAMrs) March 1, 2025
Programs covering younger individuals saw even more dramatic increases. Healthcare for those aged 55 to 64 was expected to cost $58.4 million but reached $223.1 million, a 282% jump. Meanwhile, coverage for individuals aged 42 to 54 was projected at $68 million but ballooned to $262.2 million.
A state audit revealed Illinois taxpayers spent $1.6 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants since 2020. pic.twitter.com/ZohOhvj3rz
— Bipul Das (@BipulTweets) March 1, 2025
Enrollment skyrocketed beyond projections. The state estimated 6,700 seniors would join the program, but 15,831 enrolled. Among those aged 42 to 54, expected participation was 18,800, yet actual numbers hit 36,912. The 55-to-64 program was expected to serve 8,000 people but instead enrolled 17,024.
Breaking in Illinois: 🚨 Illinois taxpayers paid out a MASSIVE $1.6 billion for healthcare programs for illegal aliens since 2020!
This is VASTLY above the spending projections estimated by Governor JB Pritzker’s administration, but he already knew that will happen and lied to… https://t.co/BJOKO3jqQT pic.twitter.com/BqmX7yaEEo
— Tom Homan – Border Czar Commentary News (@TomHoman_) February 28, 2025
The audit also flagged thousands of cases of improper enrollment. Over 6,000 individuals listed as “undocumented” were found to possess Social Security numbers, raising concerns about eligibility verification. Additionally, 668 enrollees under the age of 65 were receiving benefits intended for seniors.
Governor Pritzker once again proves that he is grossly irresponsible with Illinoisans’ tax dollars.
Just a week after introducing another bloated budget, an audit revealed the price of a mismanaged program for illegal immigrants was severely underestimated, costing Illinois…
— Darin LaHood (@RepLaHood) February 27, 2025
Republican leaders have demanded immediate action. House Republican leader Tony McCombie has called for a full shutdown of the programs, stating that Illinois taxpayers should not be responsible for covering these mounting expenses. Senate Republican leader John Curran blasted the state’s oversight failures, pointing out that millions of dollars have been spent on ineligible recipients.
Last year, Illinois Democrats were forced to cut back on some of their healthcare expansion plans due to budget constraints. Despite this, the state continues to fund these programs, leaving taxpayers to cover the growing costs.
