LA County to bolster protections for hospitals amid ICE enforcement – NBC Los Angeles

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorised a movement on Tuesday that it says will strengthen protections for sufferers, guests and workers at county-operated medical services, a choice prompted by the Trump administration’s ongoing crackdown on unlawful immigration.

Authored by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell, the movement directs county workers to ascertain an inside committee composed of skilled hospital personnel, county counsel and the Workplace of Immigrant Affairs to supervise implementation of the protections.

The group is anticipated to coordinate workers coaching and develop suggestions to strengthen protections and operational steering transferring ahead.

County workers will present a report in 30 days with further suggestions to coordinate with well being plans, group clinics, hospitals and healthcare suppliers throughout the area on finest practices to guard sufferers, guests and workers throughout interactions with civil regulation enforcement officers.

“Throughout the county, residents and healthcare professionals have expressed deep concern in regards to the presence of federal immigration enforcement exercise in medical services,” Solis stated in a press release. “Right this moment’s motion will assist guarantee county workers have clear steering and protocols in place so our hospitals and healthcare settings stay protected, trusted and accessible areas for all who depend on them.”

L.A. County beforehand adopted a so-called Delicate Places Coverage prohibiting the usage of county sources for civil immigration enforcement.

The county’s Division of Well being Providers additionally not too long ago applied its DHS Civil Legislation Enforcement Businesses and Protocol for Sufferers in Civil Detention coverage, which supplies steering to hospital workers when interacting with civil regulation enforcement companies and descriptions workers coaching necessities.

“When our residents search medical care, their focus must be on that — not on the concern, trauma and uncertainty created by the presence of immigration enforcement, which has no enterprise being in our hospitals,” Mitchell stated in a press release.

“This movement is about defending the integrity of our healthcare system, guaranteeing hospitals stay protected and trusted areas for all sufferers, and equipping our devoted healthcare staff with the instruments and steering they should reply appropriately and safely within the occasion of immigration enforcement exercise,” Mitchell added.

County officers stated hospitals and medical services have skilled elevated interactions involving civil regulation enforcement officers for the reason that begin of the administration’s immigration enforcement actions in 2025. County officers have raised issues about affected person privateness, entry to care and the protection of healthcare settings.