TAMPA, Fla. — Immigration is a hot button issue this election season. Texas has announced it is looking to implement an executive order focused on immigration.

Florida passed a similar law last year — Senate Bill 1718.

SB 1718 placed tighter restrictions on undocumented immigrants driving into the state. It also restricts employers with more than 25 employees and requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to inquire about a patient’s legal status.

Dr. Yared Vazquez says the law has created distrust between health care providers and patients.

His days usually start on the computer, checking in on the list of patients he has scheduled for the day.

“As simple as a cold or as difficult as a cancer diagnosis, you need to have a good relationship with your doctor and you need to feel at home,” he said

It’s that sentiment that he says went away for a while when SB 1718 took effect. Part of the law required doctors’ offices that accepted Medicaid to ask about a person’s immigration status.

“The challenge we saw, a decrease in patients at the beginning, there was doubt, there was a lack of information in the community,” he said.  

Now he fears this new policy in Texas is looking to do the same and will impact a large number of immigrants in the state. Because he says even though it’s been a year since SB1718 was passed, there is still a lack of information out there.

“We should take care of all. That’s how you get health problems, people getting sicker and not having an escape or route to health care,” he says.

It’s why he’s trying to educate his community about the order, sharing education through social media and just talking to people in person.

“All the obstacles between me and the patients, we’re slimming that down,” the doctor said.

Hospitals in Texas are looking for ways to implement this new policy, which is intended to take effect on Nov. 1.   

The law in Florida was sponsored by Sen. Blaise Ingogli, who has in the past said that this law helps to counter the mounting border crisis.