Nurse Fired for Posting Videos About Targeting ICE Agents

The nurse reportedly suggested using anesthetics and other tactics to 'make their lives miserable'.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 4:55pm

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A nurse in Virginia has been fired from VCU Health after posting TikTok videos that were critical of federal immigration operations and included suggestions for targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, such as using anesthetics and other 'sabotage tactics' to 'make their lives miserable'.

Why it matters

The nurse's actions have raised concerns about the appropriate boundaries for healthcare workers when it comes to expressing political views, especially those that could be seen as advocating violence or illegal acts against government officials.

The details

In the videos, which have since been deleted, the nurse reportedly talked about different ways to target ICE agents, including carrying syringes with an anesthetic to cause short-acting muscle paralysis and using a squirt gun filled with poison ivy. She said her ideas were not meant to kill or seriously harm anyone, but to 'make their lives miserable'.

  • On January 28, 2026, VCU Health became aware of the nurse's TikTok videos.
  • Later that same day, VCU Health announced the nurse was no longer employed.

The players

VCU Health

The health system that employed the nurse and condemned the videos as 'highly inappropriate' and not reflecting the organization's 'integrity or values'.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The federal agency that the nurse targeted in her videos with suggestions for using anesthetics and other tactics against its agents.

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What they’re saying

“The videos 'do not reflect the integrity or values of our health system.'”

— VCU Health

The takeaway

This incident highlights the delicate balance healthcare workers must strike between their personal political views and their professional responsibilities, as well as the potential consequences for crossing that line, even in the context of controversial government policies and actions.