Oregon Proposes Bill to Limit Immigration Enforcement in Hospitals

Legislation aims to protect patient privacy and allow healthcare workers to focus on care

Jan. 30, 2026 at 10:31pm

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Oregon lawmakers are preparing to introduce the Healthcare Without Fear Act, which would set clear rules for how federal immigration agents interact with healthcare providers when patients are receiving medical care. The proposal is meant to protect patient privacy, allow healthcare workers to focus on care, and prevent immigration agents from disrupting or interfering with medical treatment.

Why it matters

The proposed legislation is a response to incidents where federal immigration agents have allegedly pressured hospital staff, refused to step away during private medical visits, or removed patients against medical advice - actions that healthcare workers say could violate patient privacy laws and undermine trust in the healthcare system, discouraging undocumented immigrants from seeking necessary medical care.

The details

The Healthcare Without Fear Act would require healthcare facilities to adopt specific patient protections, such as designating non-public patient care areas where immigration enforcement is restricted unless agents present a valid judicial warrant or court order, limiting disclosures of sensitive information to immigration authorities, and setting clear internal policies for staff when immigration enforcement makes requests. The bill also includes protections for healthcare workers, such as having supervisors handle communication with immigration agents instead of frontline workers.

  • The legislation is expected to be introduced as Senate Bill 1570 in the Oregon legislature.
  • Lawmakers say they expect draft language for the bill from legislative counsel as early as Monday.

The players

Winsley Campos

State Senator (D-Aloha), sponsor of the Healthcare Without Fear Act.

Dacia Grayber

State Representative (D-Southwest Portland/East Beaverton), sponsor of the Healthcare Without Fear Act.

Lamar Wise

State Representative (D-Southeast Portland/North Clackamas), sponsor of the Healthcare Without Fear Act.

Erica Swartz

Pediatric nurse who says federal immigration enforcement actions have impeded the ability to provide care and hurt healthcare workers' hearts.

Tammy Klein

President of the Oregon Nurses Association, which says the bill is a promise that "Oregon's hospitals will be a safe space" and that "violence and intimidation have no place in healthcare settings."

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What they’re saying

“We are here today because hospitals must never be weaponized.”

— Winsley Campos, State Senator (D-Aloha)

“It really impedes our ability to provide care. And as human beings, it hurts our hearts, because we didn't go into this work to be unable to do it.”

— Erica Swartz, Pediatric nurse

“It is a promise that Oregon's hospitals will be a safe space. A promise that violence and intimidation have no place in healthcare settings.”

— Tammy Klein, President of the Oregon Nurses Association

What’s next

Lawmakers say they expect draft language for the bill from legislative counsel as early as Monday.

The takeaway

This proposed legislation aims to protect patient privacy, allow healthcare workers to focus on care, and prevent federal immigration enforcement from disrupting or interfering with medical treatment, in an effort to ensure hospitals remain a safe and trusted space for all patients, regardless of immigration status.