Students and staff at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing are calling out the Department of Homeland Security for a new policy that allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to enter medical settings to arrest undocumented immigrants.
The policy was created one day after President Donald Trump took office and allows ICE to enter places like hospitals and churches to arrest people.
The approximately 150 people who signed the letter say the administration’s policy is antithetical to the oath they took to do no harm as medical providers, especially when medical care may not be available to undocumented people elsewhere.
“Although detainment centers claim to provide medical care, widespread accusations of neglect, unsanitary living conditions, and abuse make us doubt the institution’s ability to maintain a humane environment,” the letter states.
While it’s unlikely that DHS will respond, Oishani Basuchoudhary, a fifth semester nursing student, who drafted the letter, said it still sends a message.
“We wanted to signal to the Baltimore community that there are people here that care about you, especially members of the community that are undocumented,” Basuchoudhary said. “We care about you. We want you to come and seek medical care if you need medical care, and we want you to know that we have your back.”
DHS declined to comment on the letter.
There have been multiple reports that undocumented people have been intimidated to seek medical care since the policy went into effect.
Some have said they had to skip prenatal visits or skip medically necessary treatment.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said last month that he is exploring legal options for protecting residents from ICE.
When asked specifically if the city would take proactive or counteractive measures to immigration enforcement actions at those sensitive sites, like schools, Mayor Scott stressed, “We will look at every legal option that we have to protect our residents. Period.”