Podcast playlist: Votes, votes, votes

He was supposed to come in three months ago. When he finally returned to the clinic, it was not for routine follow-up. Instead, it was because he could no longer feel his feet, and his vision had begun to blur. He told us he had missed his appointments out of fear. Immigration enforcement activity in his neighborhood and rumors of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near clinics made him afraid to be seen entering a healthcare space. So he stayed home. He rationed his insulin until it ran out. Now he sat before us with uncontrolled diabetes, worsening nerve damage, and worsening vision concerning diabetic retinopathy.

Stories like this are becoming increasingly common. In Minneapolis, recent ICE raids have sent shockwaves through immigrant communities, with reports of enforcement agents present in or near healthcare settings, including exam rooms. Families describe being too afraid to leave their homes, even to see a doctor, or choosing the most ill child to bring to urgent care because bringing multiple children would be too risky. Clinics meant to serve as places of healing are being transformed into sites of fear.