EVERYONE
BELONGS HERE
CREATING WELCOMING, INCLUSIVE, AND SAFER HEALTH CARE
FOR IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.
Need to find something quickly? Search below:
Restrictive immigration policies negatively impact health outcomes and deter individuals from seeking care. The rollback of protections for health care settings as “sensitive locations” and new state-level requirements to report immigration status further contribute to fear and reduced health care access. Given these challenges, health care institutions have an ethical responsibility to prioritize patient well-being, uphold medical ethics, and advocate for policies that protect immigrant communities. This article reviews the ethical implications and responsibilities for healthcare providers.
​
Institution-wide trainings on immigrant and refugee policies, messaging, and advocacy are crucial for standardized, consistent policy dissemination. These trainings ensure coordinated responses to emergencies, similar to fire safety or active shooter protocols. Regular staff trainings help institutions adapt to evolving federal policies while upholding core values. Publicly prioritizing such trainings reinforces the institution’s commitment to inclusion and equity for all affected by xenophobia, discrimination, and hate.
​​
Immigration policy is changing quickly in 2026. Keep track of the latest immigration policy updates with the Immigration Policy Tracking Project (IPTP). IPTP compiles and indexes all identifiable Trump 1.0 and 2.0 immigration policies with keysource documents and the current status of each policy.
​
Providers can who want to learn more about supporting people seeking asylum can volunteer to do clinical evaluations for asylum seekers - check out the Asylum Medicine Training Initiative and Society of Asylum Medicine for more information.
​
Supporting individuals and organizations involved in this work is essential for fostering resilience and preventing burnout. The Witness to Witness Program from the Migrant Clinicians Network offers a supportive community, valuable resources, and tools to sustain those serving vulnerable populations.
Patient & Provider Rights
It is critical for frontline providers to understand both their rights and their patients' rights. By knowing the limits of law enforcement's power, we can better protect our patients, their communities, and ourselves.
​
This is a brief summary of the legal protections available to us, the vulnerabilities we may face, and resources to deepen our understanding of patient and provider rights.
Professional Organization/
Association Toolkits
Professional organizations are creating specialty specific or regional toolkits to help providers deliver safe and inclusive care to patients in a variety of settings. You can explore some of these in this section; please use the "contact us" form to share other toolkits you find helpful.
Using Public Benefits
More than ever, immigrants are forgoing benefits for fear of discovery or retaliation. Find out what services immigrants can safely access.
Documenting Safely
Simply put, HIPAA laws are still in place, which means any health information that might identify a specific individual is protected by the law. That said, experts advise that, as much as possible without hindering clinical care, providers avoid collecting or recording immigration-related information.
​
TX and FL now have policies that require hospitals to ask patients about their immigration status. Even in those states people can decline to answer and providers cannot make access to care depend on their response.
Medical Forms & Letters
Physicians may be asked to write letters for their patients who may be facing deportation. Below is guidance on letters writing for healthcare providers.
We also share examples of letters that can be used to document the importance of parents in meeting medical needs of their children.
