May 18, 2004 The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives H-232, The Capitol Washington, DC 20515 Dear Speaker Hastert, The undersigned organizations are writing to express strong opposition to the Undocumented Alien Emergency Medical Assistance Amendments of 2004 (H.R. 3722) sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). This dangerous and ill-conceived proposal burdens hospitals and undermines the security of our nation s public health system. Under this bill, hospital emergency rooms would be forced to take on the unwieldy and administratively burdensome tasks of enforcing immigration law. Hospitals would not receive critical federal reimbursement for the emergency care of undocumented immigrants unless they question their emergency patients to determine their citizenship, immigration, and financial status, and obtain employer information and biometric data for transmission to the Department of Homeland Security for the purpose of beginning deportation proceedings of those determined to be undocumented. Furthermore, the bill states that hospitals could deny emergency health services to immigrants thought to be undocumented under various situations, including active labor (if there is significant likelihood that the deportation of the mother during active labor would not cause material deterioration of the child), treatment that may exceed $50,000, and treatment for conditions that existed before the immigrant entered the U.S (potentially cancer, organ failure, etc). Without a doubt, this proposal, if enacted, would create such widespread fear and confusion among immigrant families both documented and undocumented that many, if not most, would avoid seeking emergency hospital services in the most dire of circumstances, and consequently result in numerous accounts of severe complications and death due to lack of medical attention. It is also short sighted and perilous to the safety and health of all U.S. residents to push a significant sector of the population away from the public health system that tracks and prevents the spread of epidemics. Though Rep. Rohrabacher s intentions may be to contain emergency health cost and the flow of undocumented immigrants via this proposal, this is certainly not the way to do it. In fact, we believe the only possible outcome of the proposal is the creation of a disastrous and costly public health scenario. We ask that you oppose attempts to move this proposal forward. We look forward to your reply,
National Organizations ACORN National AFL-CIO American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) American Federation of Teachers American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) American Immigration Lawyers Association American Nurses Association Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum Asian Pacific American Legal Center Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs Catholic Charities USA Catholic Health Association Center for Community Change Center for Women Policy Studies Children s Defense Fund Church for the United Cuban American National Council Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Families USA Farmworker Justice Fund, Inc. Global Action on Aging Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS) Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs Immigration Equality International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Rescue Committee Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) Legal Momentum: Advancing Women's Rights League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service MALDEF NANAY, Inc. (National Alliance to Nurture the Aged and the Youth) National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium (NAPALC) National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) National Association of Hispanic Nurses National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems National Employment Law Project
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence National Council of Jewish Women National Council of La Raza National Health Law Program National Hispanic Medical Association National Immigration Forum National Immigration Law Center National Korean American Service & Education Consortium National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association National Network to End Domestic Violence National Partnership for Women & Families National Senior Citizens Law Center National Women's Law Center NETWORK, A Catholic Social Justice Lobby People For the American Way Premier, Inc. Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office RESULTS Rural Opportunities, Inc. Salvadoran-American National Network (SANN) Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC UNITE! United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) United Students Against Sweatshops U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
State & Local Organizations African Community Resource Center, Inc. Los Angeles, CA African Services Committee New York, NY AIDS Foundation of Chicago Chicago, IL Alabama Latin American Association Tuscaloosa, AL Albany Park Neighborhood Council Chicago, IL Alianza del Pueblo Knoxville, TN AltaMed Health Services Los Angeles, CA Amistades Johnson City, TN Annunciation House, Inc. El Paso, TX API Legal Outreach San Francisco, CA Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) Asian American Community Service Association, Inc. Tulsa, OK Atlanta Community Food Bank Atlanta, GA Ayuda, Inc. Washington, DC BARCA, Inc. McAllen, TX
Dearborn, MI
Border Action Network Tucson, AZ Boston University School of Social Work Boston, MA Boulder County Safehouse Boulder, CO Brazilian Immigrant Center Allston, MA Brighton Park Neighborhood Council Chicago, IL Brooklyn Perinatal Network Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Task Force on Infant/Maternal Mortality and Family Health Brooklyn, NY Calexico Community Action Council Calexico, CA California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative Sacramento, CA The California Pan-Ethnic Health Network Oakland, CA California Partnership Downey, CA California Primary Care Association Sacramento, CA Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc Jamaica, NY Carlos Rosario International Career Center Washington, DC CASA of Maryland Silver Spring, MD Catholic Charities, Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo, CO Catholic Charities Immigration Services, Diocese of Charleston Columbia, SC Catholic Charities Migration and Refugee Services Hartford, CT Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, CA Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) Washington, DC Centro Comunitario Mexicano Dallas, TX Centro Presente Cambridge, MA Cesar E. Chavez Foundation Glendale, CA Cesar E. Chavez National Holiday! Los Angeles, CA Champaign County Health Care Consumers Champaign, IL CHARO Corp. Los Angeles, CA Chicago Abused Women Coalition Chicago, IL Chicago Jobs Council Chicago, IL Chicano Federation of San Diego County San Diego, CA Child Care Law Center San Francisco, CA Children Now Oakland, CA Children's Alliance Seattle, WA The Children's Health Fund New York, NY CIRCLE - Coalition for Immigrants' Rights at the Community Level York, PA Citizen Action of New York Albany, NY Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles CHIRLA Los Angeles, CA Colonias Unidas Rio Grande City, TX Commission on the Public's Health System New York, NY Commonwealth Catholic Charities Richmond, VA Community and Shelter Assistance Corp (CASA of Oregon) Newburg, OR Community Child Care Center of Santa Clara County, Inc. San Jose, CA Community Health Action Information Network (CHAIN) - Miami, FL Community Health Partnership Albuquerque, NM Community Healthcare Network New York, NY Community HousingWorks San Diego, CA Community Service Society New York, NY
Concilio de Inmigracion Harlingen, TX Conexi贸n Am茅ricas Nashville, TN Connecticut Legal Services Middletown, CT Council of Latino Agencies Washington, DC Coordinating Council of Latino Community Leaders Doraville, GA Crisis Center Foundation Jacksonville, IL CUNY School of Law Immigrant Initiatives New York, NY Darin M. Camarena Health Centers, Inc. Madera, CA DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence Washington, DC Dia de la Mujer Latina, Inc. Marietta, GA Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York New York, NY East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy Oakland, CA The Ebgark Group Yonkers, NY En Camino Toledo, OH El Centro, Inc. Kansas City, KS El Proyecto del Barrio, Inc. Arleta, CA El Pueblo Raleigh, NC Emerald Isle Immigration Center Woodside, NY Enlace Comunitario Albuquerque, NM Family Health/La Clinica Wautoma, WI Family Services Network of New York, Inc. Brooklyn, NY Family Unity-Immigration Services, Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M. Las Cruces, NM Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center Miami, FL Fuerza Latina Fort Collins, CO Gay Men's Health Crisis New York, NY Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) Atlanta, GA Greater Hartford Legal Aid Hartford, CT Greater Upstate Law Project, Inc. Albany, NY HAYOT Miami, FL Health Care For All Boston, MA Health S.E.T of Colorado Colorado Springs, CO Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights Chicago, IL Hispanic Business Alliance Memphis, TN Hispanic Education Center Indianapolis, IN Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia, Inc. Atlanta, GA Hispanic Ministry Leadership Team, Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN Hispanos Unidos de Virginia, Inc. Falls Church, VA Hogar Hispano, Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington Falls Church, VA Hope Associates Alexandria, VA Human Services Coalition of Dade County, Inc. Miami, FL Humphrey & Whidden Agency, Inc. Ft. Myers. FL Idaho Community Action Network Boise, ID Iglesia de Dios Pentecostes, Mision el Buen Samaritano Hyattsville, MD Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health Chicago, IL Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence Springfield, IL Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) - Chicago, IL
Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition Chicago, IL Immigrant Rights network of Iowa & Nebraska Des Moines, IA Instituto del Progreso Latino Chicago, IL International Institute of San Francisco San Francisco, CA International Institute of the East Bay Oakland, CA Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence Des Moines, IA Irish Immigration Center Boston, MA Justice Commission ~ Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Paul Province St. Paul, MN Justice Committee of the Congregation of St. Joseph Cleveland, OH Justice Economic Dignity & Independence (JEDI) for Women Salt Lake City, UT Korean American Resource & Cultural Center Chicago, IL Korean American Women In Need (KAN-WIN) Chicago, IL Korean Resource Center Los Angeles, CA Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), Albany/Capital District Chapter Albany, NY La Causa, Inc Milwaukee, WI Latin American Community Center Wilmington, DE Latino Coalition for a Healthy California Sacramento, CA Latino Community Development Agency Oklahoma City, OK Latino Health and Community Service Portland, ME Latino Leadership, Inc. Orlando, FL LARASA - Latin American Research & Service Agency Denver, CO The Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia Washington, DC Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, Health Consumer Center San Mateo, CA LĂderes Campesinas Pamona, CA Los Companeros Durango, CO Long Island Council of Churches Hempstead, NY Long Island Health Access Monitoring Project Great Neck, NY Love Sees No Borders Sunnydale, CA Latinos United for Change and Advancement, Inc. (LUChA) Madison, WI LULAC OKC Council 19002 Midwest City, OK Lutheran Coalition for Public Policy in Minnesota ELCA, - St. Paul, MN Lutheran Social Services Appleton, WI MAAC Project National City, CA Mary's Center for Maternal and Child Care, Inc. - Washington, DC Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) Boston, MA Medical and Health Research Association of NYC, Inc (MHRA) New York, NY MESA- Moving to End Sexual Assault Boulder, CO Mexico Lindo Gainesville, GA Midsouth Peace & Justice Center Memphis, TN Migrant and Refugee Cultural Support, Inc. (MIRECS) Silver Spring, MD Migration and Refugee Services, Diocese of Trenton Trenton, NJ Montana People's Action/Indian People's Action Missoula - MT Na Loio - Immigrant Rights and Public Interest Legal Center Honolulu, HI NARAL Pro-Choice New York New York, NY
NCADDHM (National Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors for Hispanic Ministry) Minneapolis, MN New Hampshire Catholic Charities Manchester, NH New Haven Legal Assistance Association, Inc. New Haven, CT New Immigrant Community Empowerment Jackson Heights, NY New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence Albuquerque, NM New York Forum for Child Health - New York, NY New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation New York, NY New York Immigration Coalition New York, NY New York Metro Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program New York, NY North Carolina Justice Center Raleigh, NC Northern California Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride Coalition Oakland, CA Northwest Federation of Community Organizations Seattle, WA Northwest Health Law Advocates Seattle, WA Northwest Women's Law Center Seattle, WA Office of Catholic Social Ministry, Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M. Las Cruces, NM Office of Justice and Peace, Catholic Diocese of Richmond Richmond, VA Oregon Action Portland, OR Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana, Inc. (OCCHA) Youngstown, OH Pax Christi Memphis Memphis, TN Planned Parenthood Federation of NY New York, NY Public Justice Center Baltimore, MD Pueblo Migrant Coaltion, Inc. Pueblo, CO Refugee and Immigration Services Richmond, VA Repertorio Espanol of New York New York, NY Restaurant Workers Association of Koreatown Los Angeles, CA Rights for All People - Derechos Para Todos Denver , CO Riverside Language Program New York, NY Sanctuary for Families New York, NY Segunda Generacmon - Leaders for Change in Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Seras, Inc. Falls Church, VA Service Employees International Union, Local 105 Denver, CO Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network (SIREN) San Jose, CA Servicios de La Raza, Inc. Denver, CO Sisters of Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Joseph Gallup, NM Spanish Center of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI St. Charles Church Arlington, VA Susannah Maria Gurule Foundation (SMG) Portland, OR Tahirih Justice Center Falls Church, VA Tapestri, Inc. - Avondale Estates, GA Tempe Hispanic Forum Tempe, AZ Tennessee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence Nashville, TN Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) Nashville, TN Texas Civil Rights Project Austin, TX Texas Council on Family Violence Austin, TX Tompkins County Health Care Access Task Force Ithaca, NY
Tompkins County Religious Action Group for Health Care Access Ithaca. NY UHCAN Ohio - Universal Health Care Action Network of Ohio Columbus, OH UJA Federation of New York New York, NY Umos Milwaukee, WI Unidos por Colombia Torrance, CA Union Settlement Association New York, NY United Hispanic-Americans, Inc. Fort Wayne, IN The Unity Council Oakland, CA Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois Belleville, IL Virginia Poverty Law Center Richmond, VA Voces Sin Fronteras/Voices Without Borders Wilmington, DE VT Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Montepelier, VT Washington Citizen Action Seattle, WA Washington Defender Association's Immigration Project Seattle, WA Washington State Hospital Association Seattle, WA Watts/Century Latino Organization (WCLO) Los Angeles, LA Western Illinois Regional Council - Community Action Agency Macomb, IL William F. Ryan Community Health Center New York, NY Wind of the Spirit: Immigrant Resource Center Morristown, NJ Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence Madison, WI Women's Action Coalition Memphis, TN Women Empowered Against Violence, Inc. (WEAVE) Washington, DC Women s Supportive Services Claremont, NH The Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring New York, NY YKASEC - Empowering the Korean American Community New York, NY