New California Law Aims to Shield Patients and Providers from Immigration Enforcement in Healthcare Settings
A new California law, built upon extensive guidance released by State Attorney General Rob Bonta in December, seeks to protect patients and healthcare workers from immigration enforcement activities occurring at medical facilities. The law aims to clarify the sensitive nature of healthcare locations and establish standards to prevent disruptive immigration raids.
The legislation comes as concerns mount over increased immigration enforcement impacting access to care, especially within Los angeles County’s community clinics. These clinics serve over 2 million patients annually, a significant portion of whom are immigrants. Louise McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, believes the law will ensure consistent standards across healthcare facilities and reassure patients about the protection of their privacy and safety.
Though,the law cannot eliminate the broader fear generated by immigration raids within communities. McCarthy noted that incidents near clinics, including the arrest of a passerby outside a clinic in East Los angeles captured on video by a security guard, have left both patients and staff apprehensive about venturing out. “We’ve had clinic staff say, ‘Is it safe for me to go out?'” she reported.
jim Mangia, CEO of St. John’s Community Health, a network of 24 community health centers and five mobile clinics in South Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, acknowledged the law’s limitations in preventing all enforcement activity. Though,he emphasized it provides a crucial tool for clinics to respond when agents do appear. His staff has already had to utilize this authority on multiple occasions.
Over the summer, St. John’s staff intervened to prevent armed immigration agents from entering a gated parking lot at a drug and alcohol recovery center where a mobile health clinic was operating. Another incident in July saw immigration agents descend upon MacArthur Park, surrounding a street medicine tent operated by St. John’s providers with armored vehicles and officers in tactical gear. According to Mangia, officers screamed at staff and even pointed a gun at them, leaving the providers so traumatized that mental health support was required to enable them to resume their work.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that in rare instances where agents enter sensitive locations,”secondary supervisor approval” is required.
In response to these events, St. John’s has increased support and training for its staff and expanded services to include home medical visits and grocery deliveries for patients fearful of leaving their homes. While patient fears and ICE activity have decreased since the summer, Mangia expressed concern that planned increases in ICE personnel – DHS intends to hire an additional 10,000 agents – could reverse this trend.
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