"Armed men with dark, bulletproof vests entered my hospital unit just before dawn on June 19 and began loudly insisting I take them to a patient's room. The agents demanded confidential information, saying the patient they were looking for had been detained before. They didn't show any formal identification or a warrant. I instantly knew they were with Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
"As an experienced nurse, I knew I didn't have to comply with their request and refused to give them any information about the patient or where the patient was. After I repeatedly but calmly denied the ICE agents' access, they eventually left my floor. A less experienced nurse might not have this confidence, which comes with many years on the job. I knew the agents' demands were a clear violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal law protecting all patients' privacy."
Armed men with dark bulletproof vests entered a hospital unit before dawn on June 19 and demanded that staff take them to a patient's room. They did not present identification or a warrant, and staff recognized them as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. A nurse refused to provide patient information, invoking the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the agents left. ICE raids target healthcare settings and produce fear in communities. Hospitals such as Riverside Community Hospital and HCA Healthcare must issue clear policies and train frontline staff to protect patient privacy and uphold legal and ethical responsibilities.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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