Whenever you think, “ICE tactics have gone too far,” a new situation occurs that really pushes the boundaries of ethics. We’ve already seen instances of these officers waiting for people outside convenience stores, harassing others in their homes, and just kidnapping others in broad daylight. However, ICE has hit a new low, as it has started waiting for patients inside the Glendale Memorial Hospital in California. The worst thing about it is that, by doing so, ICE has blocked all other entrances, making this a health hazard for everyone inside the building.
The video comes from Instagram user @thenocturnalnurse, who mentions how ICE has been inside the Glendale Memorial Hospital almost daily, waiting for one patient to get out. According to OP, ICE has blocked all the entrances of the hospital except for the lobby as they wait for a patient called Milagro Solis. While these officers “camp,” they have been harassing other patients, intimidating Milagro’s family, and even bothering other healthcare workers. Initially, Glendale Memorial Hospital stated that it couldn’t kick ICE off the premises. However, as in another part of the country, ICE is harassing everyone just to perform another of their so-called “immigration operations.”
Another alarming thing is that it seems ICE is accessing patients’ records. It is uncertain if by this the OP means a few select records or everyone’s. If it is the latter, it should not be allowed. Furthermore, and as I mentioned before, ICE has blocked all entrances and exits, including emergency ones. This means that everyone is going through the lobby, and if something bad happens, everyone inside the hospital would have to rush to the lobby, causing chaos in the process.
As I was writing the article, the OP shared some unfortunate news. It seems ICE managed to forcefully get Milagro out of the hospital after all the backlash. According to the user of the same Instagram account, “Milagro Solis Portillo was forcibly dragged, kicking and screaming out of a side exit of Glendale Memorial Hospital by three plain-clothed people with face masks.” The medical team stood up for her because she was in no condition to leave the hospital. Currently, it appears that Milagro is at the Anaheim Global Medical Center.
It goes without saying that people are furious about this situation and have shared a lot of not-so-friendly thoughts about ICE.
“This is what your taxes are paying for. Ten guys sitting around intimidating people who are trying to help a woman they beat up.” – sarabmac24 via Instagram.
“I’ve already had a patient not show up to her induction because she was scared we would report her. This makes me sick.” – ramunediscount via Instagram.
As you can see, this is another situation where ICE doesn’t care how it affects those around it. As long as they can instill fear in those around them and cause a big scene, that’s all they want. Unfortunately, many patients and healthcare workers had to deal with this for several days, and it seems that it won’t be the last we’ll see of ICE officers invading places where they are not welcome.
