A patient receiving care at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was detained by federal immigration authorities upon arriving at the institution’s research hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, according to The Washington Post.
The newspaper reports that the arrest occurred at the NIH Clinical Center’s security checkpoint. The patient, who was registered for treatment, presented a state driver’s license that didn’t meet current federal security standards. This discrepancy led to additional screening, which revealed she was subject to a deportation order.
The Washington Post states that NIH administration then notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who came to arrest her. The patient was scheduled for treatment at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
A NIH official, speaking anonymously because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly, confirmed these details to The Washington Post. The Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees NIH, also verified the arrest.
“We are grateful to the NIH security officers for apprehending an undocumented immigrant attempting to enter the campus,” a department spokesperson told the newspaper.
Recently, ICE has conducted operations in locations previously considered off-limits for arrests. For instance, on June 6 in Los Angeles, federal agents conducted raids at a Home Depot store and other sites, arresting dozens of individuals for suspected immigration violations. Protests followed these raids, and the operations—dubbed “Operation Trojan Horse”—prompted legal and public pushback.
This ICE action follows a brief period of reduced activity. President Donald Trump had discussed negotiations regarding a new temporary program for immigrants in sectors like agriculture, hospitality, food service, and construction. He had also acknowledged the negative economic impact of his immigration policies. Following this admission of failure, many expected a softening of the Trump administration’s immigration stance. However, that expectation will have to wait longer.
https://ctninfo.com/patient-detained-by-immigration-at-nih-research-hospital/
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
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