Doctor goes viral on TikTok for telling immigrants not to reveal their immigration status at the hospital and Texas governor responds
Doctor Tony Pastor goes viral on TikTok for advising Texas immigrants not to disclose their immigration status during consultations.
2024-12-05T15:39:17+00:00- Texas Children’s Hospital Doctor Goes Viral for Controversial Video
- Doctor Advises Immigrants Not to Disclose Their Immigration Status
- Governor Greg Abbott Issues Stern Warning
Dr. Tony Pastor, a cardiologist and popular TikTok personality with nearly 100,000 followers, has gone viral due to a video that has now put Texas Children’s Hospital in the spotlight.
The controversy arose when the doctor advised Texas immigrants that they are not obligated to disclose their immigration status during medical consultations.
Dr. Pastor stated that “technically, legally, [hospital staff] were told that [immigrants] are not required to answer that question [about immigration status].”
It appears the doctor aimed to alert patients to their rights.
Doctor Goes Viral on TikTok for Advice to Texas Immigrants
Dr. Pastor’s comments were in response to a new executive order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott requiring all state hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status.
As reported by Telemundo Noticias, this order took effect in November, and Dr. Tony Pastor went as far as to suggest that no one should answer the question.
The video garnered over a million views and caught the attention of Governor Abbott, who issued a sharp warning.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Abbott said, “This doctor is putting their Medicaid and Medicare funding at risk.”
Putting Texas Children’s Hospital at Risk
The Texas governor warned, “They better think twice and ensure very clear records. There will be consequences for not following the law.”
Following Abbott’s warning, Dr. Tony Pastor removed the video from his TikTok account.
Texas Children’s Hospital also issued a statement clarifying that the doctor’s opinion does not necessarily reflect the hospital’s position.
The hospital assured that they will continue to provide care to patients while adhering to the law.