More immigrants in the Seattle area, including those in the country legally, are missing doctors' appointments over deportation fears, a new report shows.
Concretely, providers interviewed by KUOW and NPR say figures have been dropping since President Donald Trump took office. One particular family medicine doctor, Julian Perez, who works at Sea Mar, said that even though figures tend to drop this time of the year, "this is definitely fewer than we're used to."
None of the facilities interviewed in the report ask for immigration status, clarifying that it is against the law to do so unless authorities provide a warrant. However, many are conveying discomfort given the Trump administration's decision to allow law enforcement to access places that were previously off-limits, like schools and houses of worship.
The Washington State Hospital Association sought to reassure the migrant community, saying in a press release that "all frontline staff are being instructed to neither confirm nor deny the presence of a patient to an ICE officer and to quickly route immigration-enforcement action to the point person."
The entity added that they have not experienced any immigration enforcement so far, but fear is leading people to avoid visiting the doctor nonetheless, potentially leading to an escalation of health issues.
It is not an isolated episode. New Mexico's First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies is also warning that heightened fears of deportation are preventing immigrant domestic violence victims from testifying, leading to the dismissal of cases and allowing abusers to evade accountability.
During an interview with Source New Mexico, Carmack-Altwies cited a recent case involving a foreign-born woman who accused her U.S. citizen partner of domestic violence against her and their two young children, both citizens. Initially cooperative, the woman suddenly stopped responding to prosecutors.
The district attorney noted a sharp decline in immigrant victims testifying in Santa Fe, Española, and Los Alamos since Trump issued executive orders intensifying deportation efforts. "And what does that mean? It means that we have a domestic violence abuser and a child abuser that is going to walk away scot-free," she said.
Moreover, a report by The Orange County Register, published on January 31st, cited a series of legal scholars who warned that Trump's immigration policies could deter not only undocumented victims but also documented immigrants from reporting crimes, fearing consequences for family or friends.
Criminology professor Charis Kubrin of UC Irvine stated in the report that "with heightened social control of immigrants, like deportation, they're going to be less likely to come forward with what they do know or share information with police," which in turn weakens crime prevention efforts.
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