This article is reprinted from the Speak Out Now healthcare newsletter at Kaiser and Highland Hospitals in Oakland, CA.
It is becoming increasingly clear that more undocumented people in the Bay Area (and across the nation) are avoiding healthcare out of fear that they will have to share their immigration status to receive care, and then could be deported. People are refusing to seek emergency care after experiencing serious accidents. Patients are less likely to attend routine medical check ups, which can then lead to long-term health complications.
Now, under the new Trump administration, undocumented immigrants are fearing deportation due to increased reports of both undocumented and documented persons being deported across the country. Hospitals, such as Highland Hospital, have passed sanctuary resolutions for the undocumented, but people outside of hospital facilities are unaware of these resolutions, or are unsure that these resolutions can protect them in these uncertain times.
In the United States, it is not just non-citizens who are unable to access the healthcare system. This is wrong. Healthcare is a human right that should be accessible to all people no matter their immigration status, race, or socioeconomic class.
Click here to read the article printed in the 03-26-25 Healthcare Newsletter
