"I felt like there was an invisible wall [to the outside world] that I couldn't cross unless I really wanted to put myself in a place where there was a chance that I might not be able to come back. Every day is a risk. Even if they have paperwork, if they fit the profile, they are a target, making it scary to go out at all, even to work or the grocery store."
"A missed dose here and there pushed me to make that appointment [for something more sustainable]. Sanchez said they felt like somebody would have their back at their local clinic. It was only a ten-minute drive from where they worked, they knew its staff from previous visits and community outreach, and they could count on finding Spanish-speaking staff and providers of Latino heritage."
Albé Sanchez, a 30-year-old queer Mexican-American sexual health educator and U.S. citizen, isolated at home for two weeks due to fear of ICE targeting in their South Minneapolis neighborhood. Despite being a citizen, Sanchez felt vulnerable to immigration enforcement based on racial profiling. This fear disrupted their ability to maintain consistent HIV prevention medication (PrEP) adherence, forcing missed doses. Sanchez sought care at a trusted local clinic with Spanish-speaking staff and providers of Latino heritage, recognizing the importance of culturally competent healthcare access. The mounting stress from ICE operations has created barriers to consistent healthcare engagement for vulnerable communities.
#ice-enforcement #lgbtq-healthcare-access #hiv-prevention #immigration-enforcement-impact #racial-profiling
Read at Truthout
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