The State of Affairs:

In 2022, we welcomed a million migrants to the United States, and this number is climbing (1). Many migrants, especially undocumented persons, utilize the emergency department as their primary care home due to inequities in health care access affecting this group. In order to deliver holistic and equitable care and build trust with your patients, it is important to understand both the rights of our patients and our immigration enforcement officers in the acute care setting. Below we will describe just this and provide tips for making your Emergency Department (ED) a safe place for everyone to receive health care within their rights. 

Adam Roussas, MD and Rashid Kysia, MD