Immigrant rights activists rally against presence of ICE contractors at Glendale hospital
GLENDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Activists rallied Tuesday outside Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital, denouncing what they called the continued presence of Immigration Customs Enforcement contractors in the lobby of the medical facility, where a woman was recovering after suffering a medical emergency while being detained.
They identified the woman as Milagro Solis Portillo and said she became ill Thursday during an immigration enforcement operation outside a Sherman Oaks apartment complex.
The demonstrators said in a statement the presence of federal immigration agents was "creating a hostile and frightening environment for her, other patients, and hospital staff. Their presence is invasive and inappropriate in a medical setting. Milagro Solis Portillo deserves to heal in safety and dignity, free from intimidation and fear."
"They have to leave now," Hoku Jeffrey, a member of the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary, said of the ICE contractors at the hospital. "Milagro has a right to return home to her family immediately."
The hospital on Monday issued a statement saying, in part, "Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital acknowledges the community's concerns regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and we share a desire to keep our neighbors safe. The hospital cannot legally restrict law enforcement or security personnel from being present in public areas which include the hospital lobby/waiting area."
Referring to Portillo, a senior Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement: "Following her arrest, she was admitted to Glendale Memorial Hospital. ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe and secure, human environments for those in our custody very seriously."
DHS said Milagro has previously been removed from the U.S. twice and had been arrested for false information, theft and burglary.
In response to those claims, Jeffrey said: "Trump is the real criminal."
In a statement, the California Nurses Association said its members would continue to provide care for the patient, and demand answers from the hospital on how to properly discharge the patient without violating policy.
The statement said there was tension between the CNA nurses and ICE agents inside the patient's hospital room, which made the nurses feel intimidated while they were providing bedside care.
ABC7 reached out to Portillo's attorneys for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
