Immigrant and healthcare advocates are sounding an alarm that fear is preventing many New Yorkers from getting even the most basic medical care. The impacts are reportedly affecting documented and undocumented immigrants as well as the general public.
The New York Health Foundation said immigration raids such as the one in Cato last week, as well as looming policy changes, are scaring many immigrants away from going to a doctor or hospital. The agency's president David Sandman recently issued a report, Fear Factor: Immigrant Health in Jeopardy.
He argues the chilling effect is not just gripping undocumented workers.
“[It’s] even including born U.S. citizens who are people of color, who may be of Latino heritage. For example, even they tell stories of feeling the need to travel with their passport, or to have a lawyer on speed dial, just in case, somehow they got caught up in a broader immigration action. So we're seeing lots and lots of fear and confusion,” said Sandman.
The situation brought on by immigration raids and policies is leading, he suggested, to children not getting immunizations, people not getting mammograms or other screenings. People are also avoiding food pantries and even keeping kids from school, further affecting physical and mental health.
Workers Center of CNY Executive Director Jessica Maxwell said she’s seeing the same reactions among immigrant laborers they work with, many trying to stay out of sight.
“There are people who said, ‘we haven’t left in four years. You know we haven't gone out.’ They get groceries delivered. They don't really go anywhere, and they have no access to services and healthcare. In the North Country it’s often a top issue we hear about from mostly farm workers,” said Maxwell.
She has also heard reports of fear extending to the reporting of workplace injuries, whether among farm or factory workers.
“We're seeing a lot of fear around filing worker's comp claims, workers then not being able to pay for treatment because the way you pay for it would usually be filing a worker's comp claim and a lot of people are scared to do that right now.” added Maxwell.
Sandman from the NY Health Foundation said the fear could be exacerbated by another policy that would eliminate a ‘safe space’ designation for hospitals, schools, and community clinics.
“A proposed rule from the Trump administration would add them to a list of places that have to begin screening for immigration status, which would be a practical disaster from an implementation perspective,” said Sandman. “It would also deny care to undocumented people.”
He concluded when people are less healthy, the entire community suffers from disease spread and increased healthcare costs.
