Nurses at Legacy Emanuel hospital began noticing something disturbing last fall. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents brought in injured detainees, and often got in the way of patient care.
Since then, a pattern has emerged, according to nurses who spoke to Street Roots. Hospital administrators are allowing agents to interfere in ways that violate hospital policy. Legacy Emanuel told Street Roots it has created no new policies specific to ICE.
In one case, agents refused a detainee access to the most basic care, according to a nurse who spoke on the condition of anonymity, out of fear of repercussions at work.
“ICE agents stopped the nurses from placing an IV, which is basic care,” the nurse said. “Especially for any hospitalized patient. You need to have IV access.”
Agents then discharged the patient almost immediately — which was not in alignment with the patient’s medical needs, according to the nurse.
“If this person hadn’t been in ICE custody, then they probably would have stayed at least a few days, if not five,” the nurse said.
The nurse confirmed reports that ICE agents refused to leave the room during visits, in violation of patient privacy. That’s a violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, according to Jennifer Whitlock, senior policy council at National Immigration Law Center. But it’s arguably consistent with hospital policy. Hospital administrators sent nurses and doctors a document titled “Legacy Emanuel Law Enforcement FAQ” on Nov. 3.
“A clinical team member can ask a (Law Enforcement Officer) to step out of the room during private care,” the document states. “However, LEOs can say no.”
Legacy Emanuel explained that it essentially considers ICE to be the legally authorized representative of patients in ICE custody.
Hospital administrators said in the document that there is no difference in the definition for how Legacy interacts or provides care for patients “in custody,” versus patients who are “incarcerated.” The guidance sheet states “both are terms used to describe a patient that is under the protection and/or guardianship of a (law enforcement) agency.”
“ICE officers are not following even the basic Legacy policy,” the nurse said. “They weren’t treating the nurses with respect. They were wandering around the hospital without an escort. They wore plain clothes, they weren’t wearing IDs. They were interfering with patient care.”
When nurses brought these incidents to Legacy Emanuel administration at meetings and town halls, the nurse said one hospital leader brushed off their experiences.
“We were told by administrators that that wasn’t true, that she didn’t believe them, and that wasn’t what she saw,” the nurse said. “Even when told specific incidents when ICE agents were not following Legacy policy.”
A nurse killed while helping others
Federal agents killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Multiple videos showed Pretti, who worked at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, trying to help a fellow protester up from the ground after federal agents shoved her down and pepper sprayed her. Agents then wrestled Pretti to the ground and shot him to death.
Portlanders held a vigil for Pretti on Jan. 28 across from the Portland VA Medical Center.
Pretti’s death sent shockwaves through health care and activist communities, showing the risks nurses face when they step outside institutional walls to advocate for others. But inside hospitals, the consequences of advocacy are quieter, and sometimes career-ending.
Legacy Emanuel administrators placed Blaire Glennon, a registered staff nurse, on administrative leave in early December. The hospital was punishing her for trying to give know-your-rights cards to a charge nurse in the emergency department, according to the final corrective action issued by her supervisor.
The cards, known as “Red Cards,” are often printed on waterproof paper, bright red and the size of a business card. The card has two sides: one in English with phrases that can remind ICE agents of the person’s legal rights in the United States. The other side has instructions in another language, describing what to do if an ICE agent is at the door or being confrontational.
The supervisor noted that Glennon was “argumentative” when confronted about distributing the cards, telling her boss it was her constitutional right to do so.
Glennon’s take is correct, according to legal experts.
“That is legal information, that is not legal advice,” Whitlock said. “That’s totally permissible in a free democracy, so that’s pretty upsetting to me that somebody would be put on leave for a know-your-rights card.”
Glennon told Street Roots she had been distributing Red Cards to the break rooms in her department, and one day she thought she would offer some to nurses in a different department.
“I had heard the (emergency department) nurses were buying them themselves, so I went up to the charge nurse and I offered them to her,” Glennon said. “She said ‘no.’ I said I could put them in the breakroom as well. She said, ‘No, they are not allowed anywhere in the hospital.’ I said, ‘okay,’ and then I exited the department.”
A few days later, Legacy Emanuel put Glennon on informal administrative leave.
Weeks later, after being placed on an official administrative leave, Glennon’s manager issued a Final Corrective Action stating that hospital administration expected her to not distribute any more Red Cards, to follow management direction, to obey all Legacy policies and procedures. The action said failure to fully comply would result in her immediate termination. The hospital also substantially cut Glennon’s hours.
Instead of complying, Glennon resigned.
When hospital policy overrides nursing ethics
After the incident, Legacy Emanuel leadership sent an email to providers stating that distribution of know-your-rights cards violates the hospital’s solicitation policy, which prohibits employees from circulating literature or promoting causes during working time or in patient care areas.
Nurses routinely provide patients with information beyond direct medical treatment, including resources related to housing, domestic violence, addiction services and legal aid, according to Peter Starzynski, communications director for the Oregon Nurses Association.
“(Nurses) provide resources to patients all the time, not just physical care,” Starzynski said. “But for whatever reason, Legacy is denying them their ability to do that.”
Nursing oaths and codes of ethics emphasize patient advocacy, informed consent and the obligation to protect vulnerable people from harm. ONA sent a letter to Legacy Emanuel citing concerns that Legacy’s lack of clarity and follow-through with their own policies are putting nurses’ licenses at risk.
“These practices place patients and nurses at risk, both clinically and legally, and create a climate of fear and moral distress,” the letter states.
ONA sent a Memorandum of Understanding to Legacy Emanuel, explaining that nurses are demanding to not only avoid putting personal health information at risk, but to regain the right to give basic information to people in their care.
“Nurses that ONA represents want to be able to provide resources to detainees in ICE custody, whether that’s access to their legal rights, access to immigrant rights groups, or simply being able to contact their family members,” Starzynski said. “Part of our MOU that we are asking Legacy to sign incorporates the ability to provide those types of resources to detainees in ICE custody.”
Although hospital guidelines do not differentiate between ICE and other law enforcement, ICE treats patients and providers differently than other law enforcement does, according to nurses. The Legacy nurse who asked to remain anonymous said they have never seen this kind of disregard for patient health from local law enforcement in the hospital.
“(ICE officers) seem to operate with this belief that they can just do whatever they want,” the nurse said. “I have had plenty of patients under custody of law enforcement who will stay for their entire course of stay, without the police department or the court system or the jail determining or making any suggestions around discharge. ICE makes it very clear that they want the patients out as soon as possible. They put that pressure on the providers.”
ONA recently received a letter from hospital administration after months of communications ordering them to cease and desist from making any claims about Legacy’s policies around ICE, despite numerous accounts of ICE violating Legacy’s policy around law enforcement.
Medical abandonment in ICE custody
Unlike people incarcerated in county correctional facilities, most ICE detainees are housed in facilities that lack full medical clinics. Facilities holding detainees longer than 72 hours are required to have a clinic, but those clinics are often limited to routine exams and non-emergency care.
The ICE Health Service Corps is responsible for detainee medical care, but every nurse who spoke with Street Roots reported no communication between hospital staff and ICE Health Service Corps personnel.
According to data released by the Department of Homeland Security, 2025 marked the highest number of deaths in ICE custody since 2004. At least 32 people died in ICE custody last year. In several cases, detainees died within the first 30 days of detainment.
Whitlock said hospitals that care for ICE detainees immediately after detainment may be the last place where detainees are able to have a significant medical issue flagged.
“What I am seeing in a lot of these deaths, is that people had significant medical issues before they went into ICE detention and then they quickly deteriorated when in ICE detention,” Whitlock said.
If providers are distracted by ICE agents being in the room during an exam, they could miss an important health indicator.
“Having providers who can provide medical care without ICE looking over their shoulder is a human rights issue at this point,” Whitlock said.
Nurses caught between power and patients
Vicki Guinn, a Legacy Emanuel communication strategist, told Street Roots to contact ICE with questions about the agency’s actions in hospitals.
“We have existing policies that apply to all federal, state and local law enforcement agencies while in our facilities,” Guinn said in an email to Street Roots. “While we routinely review and update our policies to ensure alignment with best practices (including alignment with local health systems) and regulations, there have been no updates specific to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE.”
It’s not that Legacy Emanuel’s policies are particularly bad, Starzynski said. It’s mostly the implementation of them, or lack thereof, that makes the situation so dangerous.
“Legacy just needs to do what their policies say they’re going to do, which is to treat all patients, no matter their situation, with the care that they deserve,” Starzynski said. “It doesn’t matter what the patient’s immigration status is, or whether the patient is in custody or not. It doesn’t matter what race, what religion that patient is. Everybody deserves top quality care.”
Whitlock said hospitals have a moral obligation to do more to protect patients.
“Congress gave immigration officers significant authority when it comes to custody and detention,” she said. “But to be balanced, there has to be a willingness to stand up for the rights of patients who are noncitizens and who might not be in a place to advocate for themselves.”
Street Roots is an award-winning weekly publication focusing on economic, environmental and social justice issues. The newspaper is sold in Portland, Oregon, by people experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty as means of earning an income with dignity. Street Roots newspaper operates independently of Street Roots advocacy and is a part of the Street Roots organization. Learn more about Street Roots. Support your community newspaper by making a one-time or recurring gift today.
© 2025 Street Roots. All rights reserved. | To request permission to reuse content, email editor@streetroots.org or call 503-228-5657, ext. 40.
This article appears in February 3, 2026.