A bill to restrict federal immigration agents’ behavior in Oregon hospitals has cleared the state House and Senate and will likely become law.

Supporters said the Healthcare Without Fear Act would ensure ICE agents are held to the same standards as state and local law enforcement inside hospitals.

Ellie Murray, a critical care nurse at Oregon Health and Science University and a member of the Oregon Nurses Association, which helped write the bill. She said since the Trump administration ended "sensitive location" protections last year, ICE officers have been interfering with care and intimidating patients and workers when bringing in detainees for treatment.

"They're not respecting the private areas of the hospital," Murray explained. "It's been reported to me that they were looking at logs of incoming patients. They are asking providers, in some cases, to discharge patients before they're ready to be discharged."

The bill would require hospitals to designate a point person for interacting with ICE officers and safeguard patients’ immigration information by creating clear private and public areas. It would also protect health care workers who share immigration resources with patients. The measure is now heading to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk.

Oregon Senate Republicans said they are concerned the measure would place further strain on hospitals already struggling with tight budgets and staffing shortages. Murray countered hospitals already have policies in place for how to interact with local law enforcement and the bill would require the same thing for ICE agents.

"We're not adding any additional burden in terms of staff," Murray emphasized. "I don't know what's more important than protecting patients’ rights."

Murray added although there have not been many examples of ICE agents interfering in hospitals, the state needs to be prepared.

Source: Public News Service