CHARLOTTE — Advocate Health, the parent company of Atrium Health, warned its hospital staff to stay out of the way if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers come in as fears of deportation grow.
Channel 9 obtained a memo to hospital staff and learned that hospitals and patients have important rights if that were to happen.
There have been no reports of ICE agents showing up at any of the hospitals in our area.
However, some are concerned, and hospitals are taking notice and making sure they’re prepared.
Immigration attorneys, including Jamilah Espinosa, are getting busy.
“We have three people on phones to be able to handle the volume,” she said.
She says safe havens have been targeted in other states.
Channel 9′s Hunter Sáenz asked, “Is there concern when it comes to hospitals?”
“From the immigrant community perspective, they do have that concern,” Espinosa said.
Channel 9 learned Advocate Health recently sent a memo to staff explaining what to do and what not to do.
The memo, reviewed by Channel 9, tells staff if ICE shows up:
- To immediately call hospital leadership and their legal team.
- To not interfere with or obstruct ICE agents.
- It also reminds staff a signed judicial warrant must be shown for agents to search any private area of the hospital.
“They’re going to have a time frame on it, what specifically they are looking for in that hospital,” Espinosa said. “They would be able to enter a lobby, could question patients. But of course, it would be up to that medical institution decide whether they’re going to allow them to do that.”
The memo also tells staff not to hide patients, sneak them out, or lock the building.
It reminds patients the hospital does not collect the immigration status of a patient and treats all people no matter what.
That is a message Espinosa hopes resonates with the undocumented community as she feels for healthcare staff.
“I think, it’s very unfair to our healthcare professionals,” Espinosa said. “No matter what their political ideologies, they’re there to save lives. They’re there to provide care, and they all took that oath.”
We’ve also heard from a Charlotte doctor who serves the immigrant community.
He said he’s seen a 10% decrease in patients since ICE operations ramped up last month.
Channel 9 reached out to Atrium Health and Novant Health asking what each of their official plans are but never heard back.
VIDEO: ‘All that’s left is to wait’: Trump’s immigration policy changes spark concern in Charlotte
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