Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Philadelphia is a welcoming city. Let’s keep it that way | Opinion

We have our own choice to make regarding the health of immigrants in our city, and it’s on the ballot this year.

Michael Hulburt, of South Philadelphia, holds his son, Patrick, 3, at Philadelphia City Hall Feb. 18, 2019. A group from Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, which was organized by Move On, protested against Trump's declaration of national emergency in order to build a wall on the Southern U.S. border.
Michael Hulburt, of South Philadelphia, holds his son, Patrick, 3, at Philadelphia City Hall Feb. 18, 2019. A group from Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, which was organized by Move On, protested against Trump's declaration of national emergency in order to build a wall on the Southern U.S. border.Read moreMARGO REED / Staff Photographer

As medical students in Philadelphia, we have seen firsthand the consequences of harsh immigration policy on the health of families across the city.

At a local community clinic that primarily serves undocumented immigrants, we met a teenage girl from Central America. She had recently crossed the border fleeing unrest and violence and came to us for care. She appeared shy, withdrawn, and frankly scared. With trembling hands, she said that she was a victim of rape and sexual violence in her home country but had not told anyone. She even withheld it from medical personnel at the border in fear of being deported. It wasn’t until she met us in the clinic — thousands of miles from the southern border — that she received the treatment she needed.

In the emergency room, we met a middle-aged man from Latin America who had experienced six months of bloody stool, concerning for colon cancer. He had not seen a doctor in more than 30 years, fearing deportation, other legal repercussions, and high medical bills. Because of this, he did not receive recommended cancer screenings that could have caught this condition earlier. Even in the face of a potential diagnosis, his primary concern throughout our encounter was: How much will this cost, doctor?

These patients’ stories are not isolated. In fact, they represent the real immigration emergency our nation faces right now — not the one manufactured by President Trump to secure funding for his southern border wall. This week, Congress is deciding whether to pass a resolution overturning that emergency declaration, forcing President Trump to use his first veto. In Philadelphia, we have our own choice to make regarding the health of immigrants, and it’s on the ballot this year.

>>READ MORE: No Sanctuary: In Pennsylvania, it’s open season on undocumented immigrants

Today, we have around 50,000 undocumented immigrants in Philadelphia. They all deserve access to basic medical services. Providing care for these individuals is complex, and major health systems have hesitated to take an active role. Federally-funded safety-net clinics fill in care gaps for the undocumented and uninsured, but these clinics remain underfunded and underutilized.

Our political climate discourages families from seeking care. In 2017, the Philadelphia’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office arrested more immigrants without criminal convictions than any other ICE office in the country. Some of these individuals had been living here for years. It is the terror of arrests like these, which tear apart families, that prevent people from seeking health care except in the most dire situations.

Amid hostile federal policies, Philadelphia has taken a stand to remain welcoming to immigrants. Philadelphia recently defended its status as a “sanctuary city” in court; our City Council passed a bill that allows for issuance of municipal identification cards to immigrants, and Mayor Kenney has proposed to make permanent the Office of Immigrant Affairs (OIA), which assists undocumented immigrants with integration into our city.

>>READ MORE: No driver’s license, no photo ID? Philadelphia will issue municipal ID cards starting next year

But this progress is under threat. The federal government continues to pressure Philadelphia to renounce its status as a “sanctuary city” and conform with ICE’s practices. It remains vital to contact your state legislators and Governor Wolf to express your desire to keep Philadelphia a “sanctuary city.” OIA’s existence is also on the primary ballot this May. Look out for it and support making the office permanent.

There is no emergency on our southern border, but there is one here at home. Philadelphia is a city of immigrants founded on the notion of “brotherly love.” With these principles under threat, your voice matters now more than ever.

John Urwin, Dominique Bohorquez, and Vasiliki Triantafillou are medical students at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The opinions expressed in this article do not represent those of the University of Pennsylvania Health System or the Perelman School of Medicine.