Board adopts resolution urging health providers to protect immigrants seeking care, citing drop in appointments

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution reaffirming the right of all residents to seek medical care without fear of harassment, arrest or deportation.

Supervisor Hilda Solis authored the resolution, coauthored by Supervisor Lindsay Horvath. Solis cited reports that federal agents have conducted enforcement near hospitals and clinics and that the rescission of the previous federal “sensitive locations” policy has spooked patients and health workers. She described an incident cited by supervisors in which a child with a serious medical condition was detained en route to emergency care elsewhere in the country.

The resolution calls on hospitals, clinics and other health providers to stand for dignity and respect and to adopt and publish sensitive-location protocols that protect patients and staff. Horvath and other supervisors urged providers to expand telehealth, post visible multilingual signage about patients' rights, and fund promotoras and legal navigators to support patients who fear enforcement actions.

Public commenters included health-care workers and unions who said they had seen fewer patients in waiting rooms, higher no-show rates for appointments and increased anxiety among staff. “Workers and our community should not be scared to access essential services,” said Stephanie Allen, who identified herself as a respiratory hospital worker at Barlow Respiratory Hospital.

County officials noted there is an existing state framework and county guidance that protect medical privacy and limit cooperation with enforcement in many contexts. The resolution references state protections and the Confidential Medical Information Act. The resolution does not create new law or funding; it is a policy statement urging health providers to make protocols public and train staff on patients’ rights.

The board voted 5-0 to approve the resolution.