The facts behind the government shutdown debate over health care and immigrants in the U.S. illegally

One of the main lines of attack the White House and Republican lawmakers have leveled against Democrats amid the government shutdown is the claim that Democratic lawmakers want to give immigrants in the U.S. illegally free healthcare — which Democrats deny.

"Democrats are holding the American government HOSTAGE so they can give FREE health care to ILLEGAL ALIENS," House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, said on social media Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance accused Democrats of wanting to "take from the American people in order to give taxpayer-funded healthcare to illegal immigrants."

Trump administration officials and Republican lawmakers have pointed to a provision in the Democrats' funding proposal that would reverse the One Big Beautiful Bill Act's