Federal Veterans Affairs resources are being used to serve illegal aliens, says Army veteran Derick Carver.

“Essentially, what's happening is, the VA was caught moving processors from the VA to support [Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Services Corps] processing detainee medicals,” he says. 

“We're talking over 1.1 million people,” said Carver, who currently serves as a graduate fellow in the Allison Center for National Security at The Heritage Foundation. 

“We're talking hundreds of thousands of initial medical exams, with follow-up exams, hundreds of thousands of prescriptions being filled, dental appointments, vision appointments,” he added. “I mean, the care that the detainees are getting is better than a lot of what the veterans are getting and without … the hoops to jump through, because they just have access to this once they're detained.” 

After being severely injured in Afghanistan in 2010, losing his left leg, part of his right leg, and a number of fingers, Carver became acutely aware of the issues with VA hospitals. 

“I've stopped receiving care at VA [hospitals] because of just how negligent they are at times, especially with someone with my injuries and the levels of injuries that I have. It's just not feasible to receive proper care at a VA, or even at a private hospital for that matter,” Carver said. Instead, the veteran said he visits either Walter Reed Army National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, or Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston in Texas—neither is a VA hospital—to receive care. 

Carver joins “The Daily Signal Podcast” to share his personal story, discuss needed reforms for VA hospitals, and explain what steps should be taken to ensure U.S. veterans are receiving the physical, mental, and emotional care they need and deserve. 

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