Health Clinics Brace for Immigration Raids, Train Staff on Legal Protections
Los Angeles, CA – Fear is spreading through immigrant communities as health clinics prepare for potential immigration raids following the rollback of long-standing protections by the Trump administration.
At St. John’s Community Health clinic in South Los Angeles, the usually bustling lobby may soon see fewer patients. Community health worker Ana Ruth Varela says many are too afraid to leave their homes.
“The other day, a patient asked me, ‘Should I go to my appointment? Should I cancel? I don’t know what to do,'” Varela recounted. “I just told her, ‘Come.'”
This fear stems from a recent policy reversal by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which eliminates protections that once barred federal immigration agents from making arrests at hospitals, schools, and places of worship. The directive was revoked on January 21, just one day after Donald Trump took office. Acting DHS Secretary Benjamine Huffman justified the decision, stating that it would help law enforcement track down criminals.
“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement,” a DHS spokesperson said.
Clinics Scramble to Prepare Staff
The rapid policy shift has left health clinics racing to train their staff. Darryn Harris, Chief Government Affairs and Community Relations Officer at St. John’s, admitted the speed of the change caught him off guard.
“I thought we had more time,” he said. Now, his team is training over 1,000 employees to read warrants and educate patients about their constitutional rights.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging clinics to take action, advising them to post information about patients’ right to remain silent and provide contact details for legal-aid groups. Bonta also recommends avoiding the inclusion of immigration status in medical records and bills.
Matt Lopas, director of state advocacy at the National Immigration Law Center, emphasizes that immigration officers cannot access private patient areas or medical records without a warrant signed by a judge.
“Every healthcare center needs someone trained to verify warrants,” Lopas stressed.
California Clinics Brace for Increased Enforcement
With approximately 2 million undocumented residents, California has the highest number of immigrants without legal status, according to the Pew Research Center. Health leaders fear the state may become a focal point for increased enforcement.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, Zenaida Aguilera, compliance officer for La Clínica de La Raza, has already started training staff across the organization’s 31 clinics. She remains on call in case ICE agents arrive.
“We should be focusing on patient care, not preparing for raids,” Aguilera said.
To protect patients, La Clínica will post constitutional rights information in waiting areas and distribute resources for legal assistance.
While health workers continue to provide care, they also find themselves at the frontline of an escalating immigration crackdown—one that could impact thousands of patients in need of essential medical services
