The liberal think tank Center for American Progress asked the Trump administration not to allow federal immigration officers to arrest illegal immigrants visiting health facilities during the coronavirus epidemic.
“This proposal is not complicated—and it should not be controversial,” the center’s immigration policy staff wrote in a column published Tuesday. “People in immigrant communities may be apprehensive about seeking medical attention if they believe they have contracted the coronavirus. Not seeking medical advice and assistance could lead to further transmissions of the coronavirus within communities, jeopardizing the country’s response to the outbreak.”
The CAP urged the Department of Homeland Security to issue a formal public statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection employees will not arrest people at hospitals, healthcare facilities, and coronavirus testing sites.
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The call comes days after eight Democratic senators and three caucus chairs in the House submitted letters that asked DHS and its agencies to keep personnel away from all health facilities where immigrants might seek help.
Immigrants illegally residing in the United States who have criminal histories may be targeted by ICE after being released from local law enforcement custody into the communities in sanctuary zones, which do not work with ICE to transfer detainees into federal custody. ICE may attempt to arrest people it is looking for as they leave their homes, walk to their vehicles, or while they are at work. A person will then go through legal proceedings in which a federal judge will determine whether he or she will be released or deported.
Immigration enforcement-free zones have been implemented before, including during the Flint water crisis in Michigan and during major hurricane responses under the Trump administration, such as Hurricane Barry last July.
“Administrations of both parties—including the current administration—have issued such statements in times of crisis and the ongoing coronavirus outbreak demands nothing less,” said Tom Jawetz, CAP’s vice president of immigration policies, in a statement. “Choosing to prioritize the life and safety of all people should not be controversial; in fact, it is basic common sense.”
CAP also included CBP in its statement, though its employees arrest or encounter people at the border and ports of entry, not inside the country. CBP employees transport and accompany illegal immigrants to hospitals if they are in custody and need medical care. It’s not clear how a moratorium would affect CBP employees’ ability to transport sick illegal immigrants taken into custody at the border to the hospital for care or whether they could remain on-site, as is standard.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday reported 647 known cases in the U.S. and 25 deaths from the virus.
