Medical facilities, such as hospitals, doctor's offices,
accredited health clinics, and urgent care centers, are now at risk
of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visits. For more than
a decade, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established and
followed guidance restricting immigration enforcement action in
sensitive locations. These protected areas included places of
worship, schools, school bus stops, and healthcare facilities, and
at them, ICE generally did not conduct apprehensions, arrests,
interviews, searches, or surveillance.
In 2021, the guidance was expanded, reinforcing the two-fold
need for this standing policy: protect immigrants' well-being
and their ability to carry out basic necessities for their health
and safety, while also protecting the institutions and employees
that serve them.
