HCMC Workers Raise Alarm Over ICE Presence, Patient Privacy Concerns
Workers at Hennepin County Medical Center warned county leaders that federal immigration agents are violating patient privacy and disrupting care, calling for limits on collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Officials urged to limit collaboration
Workers at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) raised concerns that federal immigration agents are violating patients’ privacy and urged county officials to adopt a separation ordinance that would limit collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At a Jan. 13 county commissioners meeting, hospital staff called on the Sheriff’s Office to remove ICE agents who lack valid judicial warrants. The public comments followed an email sent to workers by newly appointed CEOs Kevin Croston and David Hough, titled “Important notice regarding DHS inspection of I-9 forms.”
“On Jan. 8, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a subpoena to inspect our organization’s I-9 forms,” the email read, according to documents obtained by MSR. Staff suggested that sensitive data, including immigration status and home addresses, should be redacted.
Medical workers described situations where ICE agents operated without proper warrants, disrupting hospital operations. “They’re there without a valid warrant, without legal authorization, without permission,” said Kathleen Wilcox.
“Our security has asked them to leave. They refused, saying they have guns. We need to do everything we can to ensure patient safety.”
HCMC’s general counsel asked ICE agents to leave, and county commissioners who successfully convinced agents to depart during a prior encounter on Jan. 1 said they had exhausted legal options.
Staff also reported that ICE brought a detainee into a four-bed stabilization room while other patients were present, creating what they described as HIPAA violations. (HIPAA is an acronym for the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.) An inpatient psychiatric nurse commented:
“Here is a complete lack of privacy. HIPAA is completely violated. ICE detainees have been brought into the stabilization room, which is a large, four-bed space. People who are critically trying to stabilize before transfer to a medical unit or ICU can see everything going on around them, and ICE refused to leave the bedside during care.”
Brian Muthayala added, “Our staff are afraid for their safety and the safety of patients. It’s causing incredible disruption to the work happening at Hennepin Healthcare.”
Elizabeth Songalia emphasized the importance of immigrant patients and staff. “We cannot run the hospital without our immigrant staff, and health care for immigrant patients is a human right,” she said.
HCMC Communications Director Christine Hill told MSR that immigration agents would need a judicial warrant to access private areas. She also warned that misleading social media posts “could increase unnecessary fear within our community” and declined to detail how ICE operates inside the hospital.
Pregnant patients, staff reported, are avoiding care out of fear. “I’m very concerned about ICE’s presence in our hospital,” said Gina Braun.
“We have patients who are terrified to come in. They’re scared to have family support during labor, one of the most vulnerable times for a woman. Our OB clinic has seen an 85% no-show rate.”
Suzanna Taylor added, “Some patients are declining to come in with symptoms of severe preeclampsia and fetal health concerns. We cannot guarantee their safety if they do come to the hospital.”
Staff shortages have worsened since the federal presence. “Nurses are not showing up for work. There’s a need for two nurses on night shift and one per day shift, and we’re already short-staffed,” said Grace Baltich.
A behavioral health professional who requested to remain anonymous criticized the hospital’s lack of a specific ICE policy. “HCMC directs us to follow general law enforcement protocols, which are problematic when applied to ICE. I even faced an event report after asking about a prior ICE encounter with a patient in custody on Dec. 31.”
Workers urged county commissioners to pass a separation ordinance limiting cooperation between Hennepin County and ICE. Minneapolis updated its separation ordinance last fall.
“I’m advocating for a separation ordinance for the Sheriff’s Department from ICE, similar to what Minneapolis did,” said Richard Vandendolder. “Right now, the Sheriff’s collaboration with ICE is tearing communities apart and will leave lasting damage.”
Legal activist Michelle Gross called for even stronger measures. “We need a full separation ordinance,” she said. “This ordinance would prohibit county services and resources from being used for civil immigration enforcement while allowing the county to meet its mandatory legal obligations with the federal government.”
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