California Nurses Condemn ICE Presence at Hospital, Threaten Patient Care
Editorial StaffNurses Raise Concerns Over ICE Presence at Los Angeles Hospital
California nurses have voiced strong objections to the continued presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel at Dignity Health’s California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles. They argue that this presence poses a threat to patients, healthcare workers, and the local community, who all deserve to access medical care without fear.
The recent enactment of Senate Bill 81 (S.B. 81) is designed to address this issue. The legislation requires hospitals to have strategies in place to manage immigration enforcement actions within healthcare facilities. This new law, promoted by the California Nurses Association (CNA), aims to ensure that hospitals remain safe spaces for those seeking medical attention.
“ICE is bad for patients, bad for communities, and bad for health care workers,” stated Karen Sanchez, a registered nurse in the medical/surgical unit at California Hospital. “Our union fought for and won this legislation to demand that employers make plans to prevent situations like this, where ICE presence in a hospital is intimidating patients and health care workers. Our hospitals need to be sanctuary spaces for people who need care, and the presence of ICE in the facility severely impacts how safe patients feel here.”
The nursing staff reported a specific incident in South Los Angeles where ICE agents remained in California Hospital for several days, blocking a patient's access to family, visitors, and legal counsel. Their presence, particularly in the emergency room and directly in the patient's room, has created an intimidating environment for both healthcare providers and patients.
The California Nurses Association, representing 750 nurses at California Hospital Medical Center and over 100,000 nurses across the state, has consistently criticized policies from the Trump administration and certain hospital industry practices that have removed sanctuary protections from hospitals, thereby putting patients and healthcare workers at risk nationwide.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, with over 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities across California and over 225,000 registered nurses nationwide, stands as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States.
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