ICE raids are a public health emergency that must be addressed, health foundations state

On Thursday, a group of 26 charitable foundations released a joint statement urging the government to recognize there is a public health emergency due to the massive ICE raids.

The message, led by the California Wellness Foundation, indicated that while the focus has been on Minneapolis lately, the health impacts of ICE enforcement extend into communities across the country. 

“When fear keeps people from leaving their homes, going to work, seeking medical care or sending their children to school, both freedom and health are under attack. Entire communities are being traumatized,” reads the statement calling on all governors, public health officials and county supervisors to declare public health emergencies where these conditions exist.

Director of Government Affairs at Cal Wellness, Joseph Villela, said that while all the foundations have different missions, they are all in the health sector and understand the direct consequences of health issues. 

“And we feel as a collective that we wanted to make a voice heard, and we wanted to convey that public health defines an emergency as harm that is widespread, preventable and felt across an entire community,” he said. “That is what violent immigration enforcement is causing in California and across the country.”

Villela said the problem is that the issue not only affects immigrants, it also affects U.S. citizens who are people of color or who align with communities that are protesting and advocating. 

The data

In the U.S., about one in four children has at least one immigrant parent, and the vast majority of these children are U.S. citizens.

Additionally, four in ten (40%) immigrant adults overall and nearly eight in 10 (77%) likely undocumented immigrants, say they have experienced negative health impacts due to immigration-related worries since January 2025, revealed a recent survey by KFF/New York Times.

“These negative health impacts include increased stress, anxiety or sadness; problems sleeping or eating; or worsening health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure due to immigration-related worries,” indicates the study. 

Notably, nearly half (47%) of lawfully present immigrants and about three in 10 (29%) of naturalized citizens report at least one of these impacts. 

Therefore, health advocates and other entities that can reach a larger audience feel they have a commitment to voice their opinions and declare a public health emergency. And it will be up to local and state public health leaders to make a specific determination. 

“For example, L.A. County has made significant motions in support of the community connected to tenant protections and we're saying is ‘yes’ to all of that, but from a health perspective, having administrative actions and administrative calls to call this an emergency health issue would allow for more resources from counties or states to support some of the committees that are currently being affected,” Villela said. 

The expected outcome

The coalition of foundations indicated that leadership should pay attention to certain conditions based on well-established public health criteria:

• Widespread physical and mental health harm, including exposure to violence, lasting trauma and chronic stress, with residents delaying or avoiding health care out of fear.

• Deepening racial and health inequities, as ICE and Border Patrol agents systematically target immigrants and people of color.

• Breakdown of family stability, community safety and trust, when federal enforcement creates fear and chaos, making it harder to deliver essential health and public services.

Paying closer attention to these signs may allow for redirecting resources and coordinating responses that match the scale of harm communities are facing, including access to additional funding, expanded mental health and trauma services and measures to protect schools, community clinics and hospitals as places of care, indicated the statement.