The Trump administration’s immigration policies are increasingly impacting access to healthcare, creating a climate of fear that discourages individuals, even those with legal status, from seeking necessary medical attention. A reversal of long-standing policy regarding immigration enforcement in sensitive locations – such as hospitals, schools, and churches – is a key driver of this trend, according to medical professionals and advocates.
Previously, a policy existed to limit immigration enforcement activities in or near these sensitive areas. However, in , the administration reversed this policy, empowering Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce immigration laws more broadly. While agents are still prohibited from enforcement within the private areas of healthcare facilities like exam rooms, arrests are occurring in parking lots and other public spaces adjacent to these locations.
Recent incidents illustrate the chilling effect this policy shift is having on healthcare access. In Portland, Oregon, in , a family seeking asylum from Venezuela was detained by ICE agents while taking their seven-year-old daughter to urgent care for a nosebleed that wouldn’t stop. According to reports, the parents and child were all arrested despite the mother’s pleas to allow her daughter to receive medical attention. The family was subsequently transported to a detention center in Texas, where the child continues to receive only symptomatic treatment for her ongoing health issues.
Similar incidents have been reported in other states. In Minnesota, ICE raids led to the separation of a mother and son in a clinic parking lot while the son attempted to fill a prescription for seizure medication. These actions are contributing to a growing sense of fear within immigrant communities, leading individuals to avoid seeking medical care even in emergencies.
Dr. Roli Dwivedi, a physician, described a particularly concerning case during a press conference: a pregnant mother, fearing deportation, delayed seeking prenatal care until she was eight centimeters dilated and in labor, ultimately delivering her baby alone at home. This case highlights the potentially life-threatening consequences of the current climate.
The policy change represents a reversal of more than 30 years of precedent, according to Anna Cabot, immigration clinic director at the University of Houston. Historically, the Department of Homeland Security recognized the importance of maintaining access to essential services, including healthcare, for all individuals, regardless of immigration status. The current policy, however, allows for arrests in public areas surrounding sensitive locations.
Hospitals and clinics are struggling to respond to this evolving situation. While they can implement measures such as securing waiting rooms and refusing entry to agents without judicial warrants, their options are limited. Some facilities, like St. John’s Community Health in Los Angeles, have proactively increased security and dispatched medical teams to patients’ homes during ICE raids to provide care directly.
Jim Mangia, CEO of St. John’s Community Health, recounted an instance where his team found a six-year-old child suffering from a severe asthma attack at home because his parents were afraid to seek medical attention. He emphasized the ethical obligation of healthcare providers to provide care regardless of the circumstances and expressed disappointment with the response from some within the healthcare community.
The broader implications of these policies extend beyond individual cases. Research indicates that restrictions on health coverage and increased immigration enforcement can lead to decreased access to care, worse health outcomes, and negative economic consequences. The report from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) highlights that the Trump administration and Congress have enacted policies that further restrict access to health coverage and care for immigrant families, potentially increasing uninsured rates and reducing overall access to care. The report from Prism Reports details how the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” further restricts eligibility for public benefits and Affordable Care Act plans for legal immigrants.
The changes implemented through H.R. 1, signed into law in , include significant cuts to Medicaid and eligibility restrictions that impact lawfully present immigrants’ access to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), subsidized coverage through the ACA Marketplaces, and Medicare. These cuts are expected to exacerbate existing barriers to healthcare access for immigrant communities.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted a survey of 173 healthcare professionals across the United States and found that the administration’s immigration policies and rhetoric are contributing to widespread fear among patients, leading to delayed care, missed preventive services, and patients presenting with more advanced stages of illness. The survey results underscore the urgent need to address the impact of these policies on public health.
The situation is further complicated by the potential for reduced access to preventive care, which could lead to increased reliance on already overburdened safety-net hospitals. This, in turn, could strain resources and compromise the quality of care for all patients. The long-term consequences of these policies may include worse health outcomes and negative impacts on the U.S. Economy, given the significant role immigrants play in essential industries such as healthcare, agriculture, and construction.
