We are a group of health, legal professionals, and community members in the Greater Boston area.
We’ve been meeting since February 2017 when many of us noticed that immigrant patients were missing medical appointments, worrying about loved ones with deportation orders, or fearing what may happen to their children if they are deported. We heard stories about domestic violence survivors whose aggressors threaten to have them deported if they call the police. We have seen the ways immigration affects our patients’ mental and physical health, and we know that everyone should have access to medical care, regardless of immigration status.
To take action on these concerns and many more, we formed the Health & Law Immigrant Solidarity Network (HLISN). We have more than 400 members.
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Demand ICE Release all People in Detention for Public Health
Immigration enforcement and ICE detention put thousands of people at risk and promote the spread of COVID-19.
On March 31st, in the National #FreeThemAll Week of Action to Halt Immigration Enforcement and Release All People In ICE Detention, we called representatives, senators, and local ICE directors to tell them “ICE detention is a tinderbox that threatens the health of people who are detained and staff alike.” bit.ly/DocsSayFreeThem
We ask for
Release all individuals currently detained in ICE custody and in the custody of the Office or Refugee Resettlement in coordination with qualified infectious disease and public health specialists.
Cease all local enforcement operations including civil enforcement and criminal referrals, ICE check-ins, electronic monitoring and mandatory court appearances.
Ensure all facilities where people are detained in ICE custody are hygienic and humane, by instituting measures to protect the health of detainees and making phone and video calls free for people connecting with their loved ones.
#FreeThemAll4PublicHealth
We need them to hear loud and clear from health care professionals nationwide: COVID-19 is a very serious threat, and continued immigration enforcement and detention will put tens of thousands of lives at risk. This must stop ASAP.
