WSMA Urges Congress to Curb ICE Enforcement, Uphold Health Standards in Detention Facilities

Driven by 2025 House of Delegates policy, the WSMA issues formal letter of request as Congress deliberates funding for federal Department of Homeland Security

This week, Congress passed ongoing funding for the federal government through September 2026, with the exception of the Dept. of Homeland Security. They have adopted a continuing resolution to fund DHS only through Feb. 13. This compromise was intended to keep the government open while continued negotiations on potential changes to DHS enforcement activity are considered.

Given this negotiation window, the WSMA submitted a letter to Washington state’s congressional delegation urging limits and standards be put in place to curb excessive and dangerous actions of the DHS to protect patient access to health care and the health and welfare of detainees.

As detailed in our letter, the WSMA is urging Congress to:

• Codify limitations on enforcement action consistent with guidance issued in October 2021 (“Guidelines for Enforcement Actions in or Near Protected Areas“). These prior common-sense limitations preserved critical access to medical care without compromising legitimate enforcement activities. These limitations were rescinded Jan. 21, 2025 as a result of executive order.
• Act to codify medical standards for Department of Homeland Security detention and holding facilities and to conduct rigorous oversight to ensure that ICE and Customs and Border Protection are abiding by their policies on safe and sanitary conditions and access to medical care.

Read the letter in full. WSMA President Bridget Bush, MD, issued a press statement this week announcing our asks of Congress and illuminating our concerns, saying in part:

“We have seen ICE enforcement activity in and near health care facilities and clinics here in Washington state and across the country. This activity is, understandably, having a negative impact on the welfare of patients. In a national survey of immigrants, nearly half of immigrant adults, a group that includes lawfully present immigrants and naturalized citizens, said that they or a family member had avoided seeking medical care since January 2025 due to fear of detention. This is concerning to us as a physician community.

“While we urge Congress to act, physicians and health professionals in Washington state and across the country are not waiting. We have been responding to this unfolding crisis with our minds and hearts first and foremost on our patients, regardless of immigration status. Clinics and health centers have stepped up trying to increase telemedicine visits to allay the fears of in-person confrontation. They are expanding home visits to meet our patients in their home and eliminate the fear of leaving the house for care. And we are educating our fellow health professionals about immigrants’ policies and rights.

“Now, we need our legislators to act. We are shocked, saddened, and in some cases, enraged, in response to the reports on the ground in Minnesota—including the killing of ICU nurse and Good Samaritan Alex Pretti—as well as from the constant drip of news of ICE enforcement in previously protected spaces like health settings. We ask Congress to act on these requests immediately for the sake of our country and all of its residents.”

Read the full press statement, issued Thursday, Feb. 5.

Relevant WSMA policy
The following policies regarding the protection of patient access to care regardless of immigration status were passed by the WSMA House of Delegates in September of 2025:

• The WSMA recognizes immigration enforcement and policy as a public health issue that negatively impacts access to care, trust in medical providers, and overall health outcomes.
• The WSMA advocates for legal and policy protections that prohibit immigration enforcement actions within or targeting health care facilities and their data systems.
• The WSMA supports expanded funding and infrastructure for telehealth services, especially for immigrant and undocumented communities, as a means of improving access and minimizing risk of exposure to enforcement activities.
• The WSMA encourages education for medical providers and staff on patient privacy rights, emergency preparedness in the face of enforcement actions, and culturally safe communication with immigrant patients.