Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to withdraw funding for a children’s hospital after one of its doctors shared a viral TikTok urging patients to defy a controversial immigration order.
The public feud arose when Dr. Tony Pastor, a cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, advised people not to answer questions about their immigration status when receiving medical care, as recently directed by Abbott in an executive order.
“So my suggestion to anyone and everyone who sees this is: know that you don’t have to answer this question,” Pastor told his followers.
“And secondly, wouldn’t it be surprising if everyone who comes in doesn’t answer it and really starts messing around with the data they’re looking for.”
Abbott’s executive order requires the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to collect data on undocumented immigrants who require emergency care at public hospitals.
The executive order went into effect on November 1 and is ostensibly intended to help the state obtain federal reimbursement for health care costs, reports KFOXTV.
After TikTok was seen millions of times, Abbott responded to
“Better think twice and have crystal clear data,” the tweet read. “There will be consequences if you do not follow the Order’s law.”
Dr. Tony Pastor, a cardiologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, went viral this week after advising people not to answer questions about their immigration status when receiving medical care
It came as Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a controversial executive order directing hospitals to collect the status of undocumented immigrants who needed emergency care at public hospitals.
In his TikTok, Pastor said his opposition to the executive order stems from fears that it could be used to carry out Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations when he reenters the White House.
“The way the country is developing, I’m afraid this is information that people are going to use to deport people,” he said.
Although the reasoning behind Abbott’s executive order is to determine how much the state of Texas spends on emergency health care for illegal immigrants, Pastor questioned this idea in a follow-up on TikTok.
He said that if Abbott “really, really cared about patients and spending, and both, in Texas, why are we one of 10 states that has not accepted Medicaid expansion?”
“Literally 40 other states in the country have done that, and what that means is they’ve said, ‘Hey, federal government, we’re going to accept this expansion, we’re going to make people of low socioeconomic status eligible for Medicaid . ”
Pastor explained that if this were approved by Abbott, more people would be insured, which would mean more money flowing to the hospitals under its supervision.
“The fact that our state has made it its entire personality to oppose the Affordable Care Act, I mean, get over it, it’s been almost a decade — just do what’s right for the health of Texas patients,” he concluded.
“Expand Medicaid if you really care about costs and access to care.”
Pastor said his opposition to the executive order stems from fears that it could be used to carry out Donald Trump’s promised mass deportations when he reenters the White House.
Abbott’s executive order is part of a strict immigration crackdown seen in several states ahead of Donald Trump’s return to power
In a statement to KFOX14, Pastor’s employer, Texas Children’s Hospital, said it supports Abbott’s latest executive order and plans to cooperate with it.
“Texas Children’s fully supports and fully complies with Governor Abbott’s new Executive Order,” a hospital spokesperson said.
“We have worked closely with the Texas Hospital Association and our industry partners across the state to ensure compliance before the effective date.
“While we recognize that individuals who work at Texas Children’s have their own personal opinions on many topics, those opinions do not necessarily reflect the official position of Texas Children’s Hospital. We will continue to prioritize patient care while ensuring we fully comply with all laws and regulatory guidelines.”