House Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, spoke in favor of the bill and said providing health care to undocumented immigrants threatens to “blow a hole” in the budget, noting California and Illinois are considering rolling back similar programs.
“It will send the clear message to Minnesota taxpayers that taxpayer-funded benefits are not a reward for breaking federal immigration laws,” Niska said.
Rep. Jeff Backer (R) District: 09A argues against allowing the undocumented under Minnesota Care because of costs at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., on Monday, June 9, 2025.Legislature is session to resolve budget issues before going into recess. RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • richard.tsong-taatarii @startribune.com (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus decried the legislation at a press conference just ahead of the vote. They said Democrats offered to enact a multitude of other Republican priorities — including modifications to paid family medical leave — to avoid stripping health care from undocumented immigrants, but Republicans wouldn’t budge.
Sen. Alice Mann, DFL-Edina, said DFL legislative leaders had little choice but to revoke MinnesotaCare in order to reach a budget deal with Republicans and avoid a government shutdown.
“We offered them all of the things,” Mann said, “including multiple tweaks to this provision itself, and they said, ‘No, we will shut down the government. We will make sure that all Minnesotans do not get their SNAP and do not get their healthcare and do not get their waivers and do not get their services.’”
Republicans said removing the coverage was not about being uncaring, but rather a budgetary issue.
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