CalMatters: ICE is suddenly showing up in California hospitals. Workers want more guidance on what to do

On January 20, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded policy long in place that protected churches, school, and hospitals from immigration enforcement and replaced it with a directive that gives Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers power to engage in enforcemen in any of these spaces using so-called “common sense.”

Ana B. Ibarra and Kristen Hwang for CalMatters report that U.S. federal immigration officers are routinely showing up at California medical facilities:

“They may come to the emergency room, bringing in someone who’s suffering a medical crisis while being detained. They may wait in the lobby, as agents did for two weeks at an L.A.-area hospital waiting for a woman to be discharged. Or they may even chase people inside, as federal agents did at a Southern California surgical center. 

The sight of these agents — often armed and with covered faces — makes many wary and may keep people from seeking care.”

KJ