Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not conduct operations at healthcare facilities, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson Heather Swift recently said on Twitter, criticizing “dishonest fear-mongering” by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which is made up of congressional Democrats of Hispanic and Portuguese descent.
“Dishonest fear-mongering is dangerous to the immigrant community. The disinformation campaign pushes a false narrative when people are looking to elected officials for info,” Swift said on Twitter on Friday. “ICE does not conduct operations at healthcare facilities. Anyone in need of medical care should seek care.”
Dishonest fear mongering is dangerous to the immigrant community. The disinformation campaign pushes a false narrative when people are looking to elected officials for info.
ICE does not conduct operations at healthcare facilities. Anyone in need of medical care should seek care https://t.co/69NVxM5Cy4
— Heather Swift, DHS spokesperson (@SpoxDHS) March 6, 2020
The response came after Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Joaquin Castro, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Judy Chu, and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Karen Bass suggested on Thursday that ICE intends to catch illegal immigrants in sensitive areas like churches, schools, courthouses, and hospitals.
“Immigration status shouldn’t prevent a person from seeking care. Not receiving care during this coronavirus crisis could endanger others,” the TriCaucus chairs said in a letter (pdf) to DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf that was posted on the Hispanic Caucus Twitter page.
Our highest priority right now should be the health of everyone in our country, regardless of immigration status. Today, @CAPAC, @HispanicCaucus, & @TheBlackCaucus sent a letter urging DHS to prioritize public health as we have in past crises. https://t.co/x1GwNphqSq
— CAPAC (@CAPAC) March 5, 2020
The TriCaucus chairs also expressed concerns over the enforcement of the recently implemented Public Charge rule, which makes it easier for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to deny potential immigrants citizenship based on whether they will become a public charge.
A public charge refers to an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, through assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid. The DHS’s final rule on public charge ground of inadmissibility will consider a person a public charge if they receive at least one government benefit for more than 12 months in a three-year period.
“We are concerned that enforcement activities by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could occur around sensitive areas and fear that the recently implemented ‘Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds’ final rule will undermine public health efforts during this crisis and ultimately curtail efforts to effectively respond and prevent more COVID-19 outbreaks,” the letter stated.
On Feb. 24, The Trump administration started denying green cards to aliens who would be dependent on government welfare for extended periods, after the Supreme Court lifted a state injunction on its public charge rule in Illinois.
Epoch Times reporters Allen Zhong and Janita Kan contributed to this report.
