The lobby at the St. John’s Community Health clinic in South Los Angeles bustles with patients. But community health worker Ana Ruth Varela is worried that it’s about to get a lot quieter. Many patients, she said, are afraid to leave their homes.
“The other day I spoke with one of the patients. She said: ‘I don’t know. Should I go to my appointment? Should I cancel? I don’t know what to do.’ And I said, ‘Just come.’ ”
Since Donald Trump’s return to the White House, fear of mass deportations carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has gripped immigrant communities.
For years, a long-standing policy prevented federal immigration agents from making arrests at or near sensitive locations, including schools, places of worship, hospitals and health centers. It was one of the first policies President Trump rolled back in January, just hours after his inauguration.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman revoked the directive on Jan. 21. In an accompanying press release, a DHS spokesperson said the action would assist agents in searching for immigrants who have committed crimes. “The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense,” the statement said.
The speed of the change took Darryn Harris by surprise.
“I thought we had more time,” said Harris, chief government affairs and community relations officer for St. John’s.
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