Although illegal aliens do not qualify for regular Medicaid, millions receive benefits through a range of exceptions. Emergency Medicaid is available for life-threatening conditions, dialysis, and labor and delivery. Several states also extend prenatal care to illegal alien pregnant women, while mixed-status households sometimes access benefits through citizen children. In some states, illegal alien minors are covered under children’s programs, and family planning or mental health emergency services may also be available.

Additional exceptions exist for victims of trafficking or domestic violence, as well as “qualified non-citizens” who hold certain legal statuses short of full citizenship. Apparently, if an illegal alien is beaten by their spouse, they receive taxpayer money.

A growing number of states have gone further by expanding Medicaid coverage using state funds. California’s Medi-Cal program now covers all income-eligible illegal alien immigrants regardless of age, offering full benefits including routine care, prescriptions, and specialty services.

New York provides Essential Plan coverage for illegal alien immigrants with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Washington State includes illegal alien immigrants under its Apple Health program, while Illinois, Oregon, and Colorado have implemented their own versions of expanded coverage.

California’s program alone costs approximately $2.6 billion annually in state funds. New York spends roughly $500 million per year. These programs require states to use their own tax revenue since federal Medicaid matching funds cannot be used for illegal alien immigrants.

The practical result is that while illegal alien immigrants cannot enroll in federally-funded standard Medicaid, many do receive various forms of Medicaid-funded healthcare through these multiple pathways and exceptions, with some states providing near-comprehensive coverage at significant state expense.

New York’s emergency Medicaid enrollment for illegal alien immigrants has risen dramatically, reaching 480,000 as of March 2024, a 1,200% increase since 2014. This group now makes up about 7% of total Medicaid enrollment. Spending tripled over the past decade, from $207 million to $639 million, though average cost per person dropped as many enrollees don’t actually use services.

The surge began in 2014 after the Affordable Care Act allowed immigrants ineligible for other insurance to pre-register for emergency Medicaid. Growth accelerated during COVID-19 (up 33% in one year) and again since 2022 as thousands of new migrants arrived in New York. Most recipients live in New York City (74%), with smaller concentrations on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley.

In comparison, the only larger growth in Medicaid was among able-bodied, childless adults ages 19–64. Overall, New York Medicaid enrollment grew by 1.6 million over the decade. Beyond emergency Medicaid, nearly 500,000 other non-citizens are covered through the state’s Essential Plan.

The Empire Center obtained the figures through a Freedom of Information Law request but noted inconsistencies and implausible numbers in the Health Department’s responses, raising questions about the accuracy and transparency of state reporting.

The House Budget Committee, citing new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), reported that the Biden-Harris Administration’s open border policies have cost federal and state taxpayers more than $16.2 billion in Medicaid-funded emergency services for illegal aliens during the first three years of their administration.

This represents a 124 percent increase compared to the same period under President Trump. The CBO analysis was prepared at the request of House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX).

Committee Republicans emphasized that Medicaid, a program created to serve vulnerable Americans, is being drained by illegal immigration. They pointed out that this comes on top of $9 billion in Obamacare benefits extended to illegal immigrants through executive action. The report also referenced the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which barred most federal benefits for “non-qualified aliens” but still requires Medicaid to cover emergency medical treatment.

According to Congressional Budget Office analysis, federal spending on Emergency Medicaid reached $3.8 billion in FY 2023, about 0.4 percent of total Medicaid spending. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, costs have soared to more than $16.2 billion over three years. For comparison, federal spending in 2016 was $974 million, just 0.2 percent of Medicaid expenditures. The sharp increase reflects both the growth of the illegal alien population and the expansion of state-funded programs.

Several states now provide broad coverage using state money. California spends approximately $2.6 billion annually on comprehensive coverage for undocumented immigrants, while New York spends about $500 million per year. Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia offer similar programs, which could shift an estimated $92 billion in costs over the next decade if federal matching rates are reduced. Altogether, combined federal and state spending on health care for illegal immigrants is estimated at $7–9 billion annually.

The House Budget Committee warned that these ballooning costs highlight how the administration’s border failures have fueled mass illegal migration, worsened the fiscal crisis, and threatened both national and economic security. Republicans pledged to continue investigating the impact of illegal migration on federal health care programs and to push reforms to safeguard Medicaid for American citizens.

The post Illegal Aliens Draining Medicaid Despite Federal Restrictions appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

A DC grand jury declined to indict the DOJ lawyer charged for throwing a Subway sandwich at a federal agent in DC.

A man in a salmon-colored t-shirt was caught on video throwing a sandwich at a federal officer in DC earlier this week after President Trump deployed the National Guard to patrol the streets.

The sandwich thrower was identified as 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn, a DOJ trial attorney.

A DC grand jury refused to indict Dunn.

CNBC reported:

Federal prosecutors failed to obtain a grand jury indictment against a former Department of Justice employee who allegedly hurled a Subway sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer who President Donald Trump had deployed in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in D.C. has sought to charge the man, Sean Charles Dunn, with felony assault of an officer for the Aug. 10 sub-chucking incident, which was caught on video. The DOJ fired Dunn after his arrest.

NBC News reported Wednesday that two people familiar with the matter said that a grand jury failed to indict Dunn in the case, which was heavily touted by Trump administration law-enforcement officials.

It is not clear if prosecutors will try again to obtain an indictment of Dunn or lodge another charging instrument against him, known as an “information.”

“If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you. I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony. This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said.

If you touch any law enforcement officer, we will come after you.

I just learned that this defendant worked at the Department of Justice — NO LONGER. Not only is he FIRED, he has been charged with a felony.

This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven… https://t.co/l1jWVjLJPA

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) August 14, 2025

Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, also said the man arrested for throwing the sandwich at agents was a DOJ contractor and has been immediately fired.

“The man in the salmon colored shirt with the effete gesture there of throwing a Subway sandwich is, was a DOJ contractor. He is no longer,” Harmeet Dhillon said on the Benny Johnson show.

WATCH:

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Assistant AG For Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon announces the Democrat facing felony charges for throwing a Subway sandwich at federal officers has been exposed as a DOJ contractor and has been immediately fired:

“The man in the salmon colored shirt with the… pic.twitter.com/k3zDhVrP9S

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 14, 2025

The post DC Grand Jury Declines to Indict DOJ Lawyer Charged For Throwing Sandwich at Federal Agents appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The Minneapolis Catholic school shooter has been identified, and a potential manifesto, posted to YouTube by the shooter, was discovered.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the shooter, a male in his early 20s, opened fire on children as they attended mass at the school, killing at least two children and injuring 14 children and three adults.

WATCH: Minneapolis Mayor Confirms “Children Dead” in Catholic School Church Shooting – Police Chief: 2 Dead, Ages 8 and 10, 17 Others Injured, Including 14 Children and 3 Adults

The shooter was identified as Robin Westman. Authorities have not confirmed this as of yet.

Many on social media are speculating that the shooter was trans, sharing an alleged photo of him wearing earrings and what appears to be makeup.

The Blaze noted that he allegedly wrote "kill Donald Trump" on one of his firearms.

Minnesota school shooter identified as Robin Westman, had “Kill Donald Trump” written on one of his firearms: pic.twitter.com/JCXmSYocqP

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 27, 2025

A screenshot from his alleged manifesto also shows a sticker with a trans flag and a rifle, which reads "Defend Equality."

Shooter’s alleged manifesto had a transgender flag with a rifle that reads: “Defend Equality.” https://t.co/XIpTZCqENC pic.twitter.com/IS9mf8j9eR

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) August 27, 2025

One clip circulating on social media shows the alleged manifesto, signed by Robin M. Westman, and his collection of guns with anti-Christian phrases scribbled in silver Sharpie on the magazines and barrels.

WATCH:

According to the Daily Wire's Mary Margaret Olohan, YouTube removed the video at approximately 11 am ET. A screenshot shows that the clip was posted on Wednesday with a caption that read, "So long and thanks for all the fish."

NEW: YouTube just removed this video, posted by a user "Robin W" two hours ago.

The caption says "so long and thanks for all the fish."

Social media users are heavily speculating that "Robin Westman" is the shooter from today's tragic shooting in Minneapolis.

We've contacted… pic.twitter.com/dHrkvHInrj

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) August 27, 2025

The New York Post confirmed the suspect's name is Robin Westman and reported that police are investigating whether the apparent video manifesto is connected to Westman.

This is a developing story.

The post PURE EVIL: Potential Trans Minneapolis Catholic School Shooter Identified, Posted Manifesto on Youtube Before Shooting – Shooter Had “Kill Donald Trump” Written on Gun (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Police Chief Brian O’Hara provided an update on the shooting at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School on Wednesday and confirmed that multiple students are dead and at least 17 people were injured. 

The Gateway Pundit reported earlier on the tragic shooting, which happened while students were attending a Wednesday morning mass.

President Trump said he was “fully briefed on the tragic shooting,” and the White House is monitoring the situation.

BREAKING: Shooter Opens Fire During Mass at Minneapolis K-8 Catholic School Leaving Multiple Victims – Suspect Reportedly Dead – UPDATE: Officials to Provide Update at 11:30 AM ET (WATCH LIVE)

"There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act," he said. "Children are dead."

"These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church," he added.

WATCH:

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters that the shooting unfolded "just before 8:30 am" as students attended a church service "marking the first week of school." Two students were killed, ages eight and ten, and 17 others were injured, including 14 children and three adults.

He further confirmed that police believe the "coward"  took his own life after the "deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping.".

It appears that the suspect, a male in his early 20s, opened fire from outside the church as the children sat in the pews and prayed. The number of rounds "is in the dozens," said O'Hara. He was wearing Black clothing and "cargo-type" pants, O'Hara said.

The shooter was armed with three weapons: a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.

WATCH:

O'Hara: Earlier today, just before 8:30 am, our city experienced an unthinkable tragedy. Minneapolis Police Officers responded to a report of a shooting at a mass that was happening at the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church on the block behind me. This worship service was marking the first week of school for children that are attending the Annunciation Catholic school. During the mass, a gunman approached on the outside, on the side of the building and began firing a rifle through the church windows, towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass. Shooting through the windows, he struck children and worshippers that were inside the building.

The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible. Police officers from the Minneapolis Police Department immediately responded, entered the church and attempted to provide first aid and rescue some of the children that were hiding throughout the building, while other first responders came and EMS responded to rush victims to nearby hospitals.

Two young children, ages eight and ten, were killed where they sat in the pews. Their parents have been notified. 17 other people were injured, 14 of them being children. Two of those children are in critical condition. The coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life in the rear of the church. Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children, for these young lives that are now fighting to recover, and for our entire community that has been so deeply traumatized by this senseless attack. We will stand together to protect our children, our schools and our houses of worship. This deliberate act of violence is a sign of cruelty that is beyond comprehension. Our hearts are broken for everyone that's been affected by this tragedy.

As we begin the difficult path of healing, I want the community to know this, that even in the face of such evil, the Minneapolis Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners stand with our community. We stand with these families and with this parish. We will continue to be here for you. With that, the investigation is obviously in its preliminary stages, and I will attempt to take some questions to provide further information.

The post WATCH: Minneapolis Mayor Confirms “Children Dead” in Catholic School Church Shooting – Police Chief: 2 Dead, Ages 8 and 10, 17 Others Injured, Including 14 Children and 3 Adults appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

The United States has two government agencies focused on defending the Earth from threats from outer space. NASA is tasked with protecting Earth from natural space threats like asteroids, while the Space Force is developing space warfare capabilities to protect U.S. space assets from adversary threats, largely from China and Russia.

NASA has completed its analysis of the 2022 Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), the first real-world attempt to deflect an asteroid. The spacecraft deliberately struck Dimorphos, a small moonlet orbiting the larger asteroid Didymos. Just before impact, the Italian cubesat LICIACube detached from DART and captured the only close-up images of the collision and its aftermath.

The results, published August 21, 2025, showed that the impact ejected about 35 million pounds (16 million kilograms) of dust and rock, roughly 0.5 percent of Dimorphos’ mass and 30,000 times greater than the spacecraft’s own mass. The debris plume acted like a rocket engine, delivering a much stronger push than the impact alone.

As a result, Dimorphos’ orbit around Didymos was shortened by 33 minutes. The key finding is that even a relatively small spacecraft can alter the trajectory of a rubble-pile asteroid, proving that asteroid deflection is a viable planetary defense strategy.

Planetary defense, however, should not be confused with space warfare. NASA established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office in 2016 to track, characterize, and mitigate natural threats such as asteroids and comets. Its mission is focused on detection and deflection, not military conflict.

The U.S. Space Force is tasked with countering adversary threats in orbit, particularly from China and Russia. General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, has warned that China is rapidly expanding its anti-satellite arsenal, from ground-based lasers and missiles to satellites capable of disabling or destroying others, while Russia is pursuing a nuclear weapon designed for space. These advances, which Saltzman calls a “grave threat” to the United States, have prompted the Space Force to develop orbital warfare capabilities that include jammers, directed energy, kinetic weapons, and more resilient satellites able to maneuver and withstand attack.

In 2024, China conducted operations with three experimental satellites practicing “dogfighting” maneuvers in low Earth orbit, rehearsing tactics and procedures for on-orbit combat. In addition, China employs electronic jammers that can disrupt space-based communications, radar, and navigation systems, and has deployed an experimental satellite in geostationary orbit to practice space-based jamming.

Beyond these systems, China is building a “kill web” intelligence network using hundreds of satellites to track and target forces on Earth. Its ASAT program dates back to 1964 and gained attention in 2007 when China destroyed one of its own weather satellites, creating a massive debris field.

Russia’s space warfare program is equally alarming. The most concerning development is its pursuit of a nuclear ASAT weapon that would violate the Outer Space Treaty. Such a system would create a blast wave, intense radiation, and an electromagnetic pulse capable of disabling or destroying satellites across wide areas of orbit.

Analysts warn this could devastate civilian satellite infrastructure and severely weaken U.S. military capabilities, as radiation in space spreads much farther than in Earth’s atmosphere.

Russia has also demonstrated conventional ASAT systems. In November 2021, it destroyed its own Cosmos 1408 satellite with a direct-ascent missile, producing over 1,500 pieces of debris.

Russian co-orbital weapons involve large satellites releasing smaller “daughter” satellites that can approach and potentially destroy U.S. assets. In addition, Russia employs cyberattacks and satellite jamming alongside its direct-ascent missile program.

The threat is not limited to weapons alone. ASAT tests conducted by the U.S., Russia, China, and India have left 6,851 cataloged pieces of debris in orbit, with nearly 3,000 still posing hazards today. This growing debris field underscores the risks posed by militarization of space, where even a single test can jeopardize global satellite operations.

The shift marks a departure from the relatively peaceful era of the Cold War to today’s contested environment, where China and Russia are deliberately building capabilities to threaten U.S. satellites and challenge America’s ability to operate freely in space.

Recent training has underscored this shift. In “Resolute Space 2025,” the largest Space Force exercise to date, more than 700 Guardians trained in electromagnetic warfare, orbital operations, and space domain awareness.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but it does not forbid conventional weapons, leaving room for the development of new technologies.

Although NASA and the Space Force are preparing for very different threats, their work, combined with the rapid expansion of Chinese and Russian space warfare systems, demonstrates that we are quickly entering an age where space will become a new theater of engagement.

The post Real Space Wars: NASA and Space Force Tasked With Defending Against Outer Space Threats appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.