Minnesota physician groups call for health care protections as condition of DHS funding
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Minnesota physician advocacy groups have asked Congress to restrict the activities of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in and around healthcare facilities and other sensitive locations. They propose that such restrictions be a condition for continued funding for the Department of Homeland Security.
The Minnesota Medical Association, along with several other advocacy groups representing 15,000 doctors, sent a letter to the Minnesota Congressional Delegation, requesting action to protect the health and safety of detained individuals and communities across the state amid ongoing immigration enforcement tactics.
Concerns were raised by the physician advocacy groups over reports of unsanitary conditions and a lack of medical care for detainees at ICE facilities, including the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis.
“This activity is, understandably, having a negative impact on the health and safety of your fellow Minnesotans,” they wrote.
The letter calls on Congress to conduct thorough oversight to ensure that DHS provides detainees with proper medical care, food, water and other essential human needs. It references guidance issued by DHS in October 2021 aimed at preserving critical access to medical care, childcare and educational services without compromising legitimate enforcement activities.
However, these protections were rescinded in January 2025 following President Trump’s executive order, “Protecting the American People from Invasion,” which mandated a significant expansion of expedited removals within the United States.
A recent report from the Government Accountability Office highlighted that while U.S. Customs and Border Protection has created policies “for providing medical care to individuals in custody,” it has not consistently implemented them. The physician advocacy groups referred to this report in their letter, calling for Congress to establish legal medical standards for DHS detention facilities, along with effective “oversight mechanisms.”
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