Highland Hospital Neighbors Demand Information on ICE Activity
Advocates and officials in Alameda County say they need to revisit the county’s ICE-free zone policy after hospital staff released a man into the custody of immigration authorities without a warrant.
At a special joint meeting this week with Alameda Health System Board of Trustees, county supervisors called on administrators to detail what exactly happened at Highland Hospital in Oakland after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents brought a detainee to the facility for over a week of treatment.
Some supervisors and advocates at the meeting said they also needed to improve protocols regarding interactions with ICE. Supervisor Elisa Marquez told KQED that it’s time the county reviews its 2025 policy as an ICE-free zone to see “if there are any gaps” or misunderstandings on how to implement it.
The “ICE-free zone” policy covers Alameda County-owned properties, including Highland Hospital, and limits interactions with immigration authorities.
“We have an opportunity to reassess and evaluate what occurred so that way we can do our best to minimize any undue harm to anyone within our community,” Marquez said in an interview.
The scrutiny stems from an Oct. 16 incident in which ICE brought a man arrested in Emeryville into Highland for care. Nikolas De Bremaeker, an attorney for the patient with Centro Legal de la Raza, previously told KQED that an ICE agent tackled his client, sat on his chest and fractured six ribs. ICE said in a statement that agents “relied on their training to control the situation,” and that the man had disclosed a preexisting injury – that he fell off a ladder
Once at Highland, De Bremaeker and hospital staff told KQED that ICE tried to obstruct access to counsel and direct medical treatment.
The agent was “sitting on his bed, grinning at him,” De Bremaeker said of his client.
ICE said it’s standard practice for agents to accompany patients in their care to receive health services.
Alameda Health System officials said at the Tuesday joint meeting that hospital staff didn’t receive a warrant for the patient from ICE.
Nikki Fortunato Bas, a member of the Board of Supervisors, said at Tuesday’s meeting AHS had told her that the arrest was done with a warrant.
“That is extremely upsetting,” Fortunato Bas said. “Alameda Health System should’ve been clear that ICE wasn’t providing that information. ACILEP [the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership] should’ve been clear that ICE wasn’t providing that information.”
Fortunato Bas said that officials have to think through what remedies the county and health system have in place, and how they can do more.
“There are a number of protocols at AHS — as I understand it, we have some protocols here at the county for the ICE-free zone — but we also have to do more,” Fortunato Bas said. “And, clearly, more training needs to be done.”
A new state law, Senate Bill 81, requires health facilities to teach staff how to respond to federal immigration authorities’ request to use facilities. SB 81 also restricts the sharing of immigration information. While De Bremaeker’s client was hospitalized at Highland, several staff members wrote a letter obtained by KQED that AHS was not following state law as it relates to training.
De Bremaeker, who previously called on federal lawmakers to investigate ICE’s actions at hospitals, told county supervisors at the meeting that he wanted more collaboration between Highland and his organization.
Marquez said officials need to clarify who has the ability to verify legal documents in these situations, and “if ICE needs to be there, even if they have a legal warrant.”
Since Oct. 26, Marquez said there have been six ICE arrests in her district, which doesn’t include Highland.
“It is really concerning and disappointing to see the increase in enforcement, and it’s concerning leading up to Election Day as well,” Marquez said. “It does feel like it’s a threat to instill fear, and I think their intent is to dissuade people from exercising the right to vote.”