Children's Hospital of Atlanta prepares staff for ICE encounters
ATLANTA - Children’s Hospital of Atlanta is taking steps to prepare its staff for potential encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following recent policy changes at the federal level.
What we know:
In an email to employees, the hospital outlined procedures to follow if ICE agents arrive unannounced. Staff members are encouraged to remain calm, alert security, and avoid answering questions or providing information about patients or their families.
What they're saying:
The guidance comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded a 2021 policy that had restricted immigration enforcement actions in so-called "sensitive" areas, such as hospitals, schools, and churches.
Under the new directive, ICE agents can enter public areas of any institution without prior permission. However, they cannot detain, question, or arrest individuals in these spaces without a warrant or probable cause to believe they lack legal immigration status. Private areas—such as examination rooms, patient rooms, treatment areas, doctor's offices, medical records areas in a hospital—remain off-limits unless agents obtain a judicial warrant or explicit permission.
Legal protections under the Fourth Amendment prevent law enforcement from accessing areas where individuals have a "reasonable expectation of privacy." While the definition of a private space varies by institution, hospitals generally fall under this category, making most of their facilities restricted areas.
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As federal immigration enforcement policies shift, institutions like Children’s Hospital of Atlanta are proactively ensuring staff understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to protecting patients and their families.