Blog
Brown Bag Blog: Borders, Bans, and Barriers: Public Health’s Role in Serving Immigrant Populations
This series of blog posts aims to publicize NCSD's discussions around health equity, and encourage further conversations related to these issues.
After a brief hiatus in July, NCSD staff got together in early August for a Brown Bag discussion on serving immigrant communities.
Led by Sara Stahlberg, NCSD staff discussed the CommonHealth article, Caring for Immigrant Patients When the Rules Can Shift Any Time. The article is written by a health care provider who discusses some common difficulties when caring for immigrant communities in the era of mass deportations and rampant xenophobia. While the threat of deportation has always been a fear under past administrations, recent executive orders have substantially increased the number if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers and has also allowed local law enforcement to enforce immigration policies in new ways. This has made many immigrant communities more distrustful of local officials and law enforcement. This has profound implications for the field of public health. Often, local health clinics are the first places many people go to for routine check ups and screenings. Because of these executive orders, many will avoid seeking services if they feel threatened by the authorities and do not feel safe.
While providers cannot solve every problem that every community may face, there are always supportive actions that can be taken. When it comes to serving immigrant communities, it is important that public health professionals know what their local laws are, specifically when it comes to using forms of identification to access certain services. Be sure to know what you can and cannot do legally for these communities. It is also helpful to understand sanctuary declarations, basic rights, and available community resources.
Creating an environment where people feel welcome and safe no matter who they are is essential if our goal is to maintain these individuals in systems of care. One way jurisdictions can do this is by making use of different translation services. Immigrant communities can be extremely diverse, and communication may be challenging. If you are a health department or clinic that serves a large immigrant population, it is ideal to have someone on staff who speaks a language other than English. Additionally, health departments and clinics can build partnerships with organizations that are trusted within immigrant communities. For example, a health department can send DIS to the offices of an organization that provides immigrants with translation services or legal representation. That way, health care providers are serving people in environments where they feel safe and secure.
NCSD staff firmly believes that all people, regardless of citizenship status, deserve quality health care. As such, we encourage our members to think of ways that they can support immigrant communities in a time when their rights and livelihood are continually under threat.
NCSD encourages our members to have these tough discussions with their own staff to foster a more understanding and comprehensive approach to promoting sexual health and health equity. Below you will find some useful resources to guide such a discussion.
A White House proposal has legal immigrants forgoing health-care services out of fear
Caring for Immigrant Patients When the Rules Can Shift Any Time
Immigrants and Health Care: Sources of Vulnerability
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Immigration, Health Care, and Health
Facilitate a Discussion
Opening
While mass deportations and anti-immigrant sentiment is not new, recent directives from the Administration have reignited a culture of “othering” people who are (or are perceived to be) undocumented in the United States. We’ve all absorbed and responded to these current events in our own ways. Before we begin our discussion, we will therefore provide the space for any personal experience, reflections, or acknowledgements that you’d like to make about this.
*Please note that public agencies may have restrictions on workplace discussions of a political nature. Please tailor your discussion per your agency’s directives. Note, however, that immigrant populations are a key demographic of interest in the sexual health field, and experience a number of disparities in access and quality of care.
Discussion Questions
- Is there a role for public health in tackling immigration issues? If so, what does that look like?
- How have we seen some of the more recent immigration challenges play out in our work?
- Do you view comprehensive health care as a basic human right?
- In what ways do you think heightened attention to immigration enforcement has affected public health?
- What is the responsibility of providers and programs to respond to the unique needs of immigrant populations?
- What are the key challenges in this work?
- The author of the article acknowledges that she cannot control socio-political forces outside of her clinic walls, but she CAN provide a safe space for her patients. What are some ways that clinics and/or public agencies can do that?
- Who should we be partnering with to better address these issues?
