This story also ran on WAMU. It can be republished for free.
A policy change by the Trump administration allows federal immigration officials to make arrests at or near sensitive locations, including health care facilities. To respond, some health providers are scrambling to give their staff legal training.
In a memo to health care providers, Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown advises health workers that they need not record a patient’s immigration status unless it relates to insurance coverage and that they should ask for credentials if someone claiming to be an ICE official shows up. He also said providers should not interfere with an investigation.
KFF Health News reporting fellow Jackie Fortiér appeared on WAMU’s “Health Hub” on March 19. The segment included voices from Nicole Lamoureux, president of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, and Matt Lopas, director of state advocacy for the National Immigration Law Center.
KFF Health News producer Taylor Cook contributed reporting to this segment.