American taxpayers are being forced to fund sex changes and breast implants for homeless illegal migrants, a watchdog has found.
In California, illegal migrants have gained access to taxpayer-funded transgender procedures through the state's Medicaid programme, Medi-Cal, Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Rufo revealed.
The scheme provides heathcare coverage to all low-income California residents - including to undocumented migrants who broke into the country.
According to the California Department of Health Care Services, taxpayers foot an annual bill of around $9billion (£6.7billion) to provide healthcare to illegal migrants - including "gender-affirming care" services.
Under the state's Medicaid programme, 1.7 million illegal migrants receive fully-funded healthcare coverage - while over a third of Californians are plunged into debt over medical expenses.
In January 2024, California Governor Gavin Newsom expanded the state's Medicaid scheme to encompass all migrants - both legal and illegal.
Mr Rufo - a conservative activist - went to taxpayer-funded homeless shelters in the San Francisco areas and filmed conversations with transgender illegal migrants.
In the footage, a migrant from Honduras can be heard telling him how they were able to access gender therapy treatment for free through the state's healthcare scheme.
In California, illegal migrants have gained access to taxpayer-funded transgender procedures through the state's Medicaid programme
|GETTY
In a separate conversation, another migrant - who claimed to be in the US legally - told the Manhattan Institute senior fellow they managed to receive breast implants at the taxpayer's expense.
After Mr Rufo's video was released, the California Governor's office confirmed that illegal migrants can access sex change procedures and sex reassignment hormone therapy through Medi-Cal.
A spokesman told Fox News: "Undocumented Californians don’t get special treatment.
"Everyone on Medi-Cal gets the same access to care."
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One migrant told the Manhattan Institute senior fellow they managed to receive free breast implants
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They added: "If you want to call California woke for not letting politicians interfere with doctors - or not wanting people to die in the streets - then go ahead."
Reacting to the statement, Mr Rufo wrote on social media: "Gavin Newsom’s office has confirmed that California is giving free sex-change surgeries to homeless illegal aliens.
"They’re doubling down - and, inexplicably, suggesting that without state-funded breast implants and artificial vaginas, migrants will “die in the streets".
Meanwhile, White House communications director Steven Cheung lambasted Mr Newson on social media following the revelations.
'This is like the holy trinity of woke, liberal, out-of-touch, perverse ideology from Scumbag Gavin Newsom,' one White House official said
| REUTERS"This is like the holy trinity of woke, liberal, out-of-touch, perverse ideology from Scumbag Gavin Newsom," he said.
However, in a statement to Fox News, the California Department of Health Care Services refuted Mr Rufo's claims, claiming the video contains "significant factual errors and mischaracterises both Medi-Cal eligibility and covered benefits".
They agency added: "It suggests that the State broadly provides gender-affirming surgeries to specific populations without limitation, which is completely false.
"Medi-Cal is a needs-based program with strict eligibility requirements."
They insisted that illegal migrants can only receive the taxpayer-funded transgender treatment if it is "medically necessary".
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