Over the past couple of weeks, there has been an uptick in activity involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in and around hospitals throughout California.
Hospitals are places of compassion and healing, so the presence of any law enforcement officer, ICE or otherwise, can understandably raise concerns among patients and community members. In moments like this, facts matter more than ever. So does the steady, compassionate work happening every hour of every day inside our hospitals.
First and foremost, hospitals’ duty is to care for their patients. And every Californian should feel safe when seeking care in a hospital.
Second, hospitals do not ask patients for their immigration status. That is simply not a function of hospital care. Hospitals are not involved in law enforcement proceedings beyond cooperating with officials from many different law enforcement agencies during any legal investigation or operation, as required by law.
Finally, dozens of state and federal laws provide layers of protections for patients regarding hospitals’ interactions with law enforcement, including restrictions on disclosing patients’ identities, limits on access to non-public areas of facilities for immigration enforcement, and more.
Hospitals regularly interact with these law enforcement agencies, which have their own rules and regulations regarding escorting detainees, when to use restraints, and more.
It is understandable that people seeing all of this from the outside will want to ask questions and make sure patients are safe. While every situation is different, what is indisputable is that California hospitals’ first obligation is to treat the illnesses and injuries of those who need help.
That commitment doesn’t change based on whether the person is in custody, or their immigration status, or whether they are helping with an active investigation.
Hospitals put their patients first. Always.
