LCHC celebrates the momentous signing of SB 81, authored by Senator Arreguín, which ensures hospitals and clinics remain safe spaces for care, not deportation, and reaffirms California’s commitment to immigrant health equity.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sacramento, CA – Rounding out the first week of Latine Heritage Month, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 81, authored by Senator Arreguin and cosponsored by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC), and California Nurses Association (CNA). SB 81, which is effective immediately, requires California healthcare facilities to create and designate non-public areas to protect patient privacy, directs healthcare providers to establish clear procedures for responding to immigration enforcement in health spaces, and strengthens privacy protections so all patients can seek care without fear of immigration enforcement. The new law represents a critical step forward in safeguarding immigrant communities and advancing health equity across California.
“With Governor Newsom’s signature on SB 81, we reaffirm our state’s commitment to protecting immigrant communities and ensuring hospitals and clinics remain places of healing, not fear,” said Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “At a time when immigrants and Latinos are being racially profiled, detained, and even losing their lives, we must not sacrifice public health under the guise of public safety. We look forward to working with health systems and the administration to ensure every person, regardless of immigration status, can seek care with dignity and safety.”
This new law arrives at a critical moment when we are seeing aggressive and inhumane deportations cause fear and spread a chilling effect, preventing Latines and immigrants from accessing essential care. Research shows that fear of immigration enforcement is already undermining access to health care. In Southern California alone, nearly 30% of patients have reported missing or canceling appointments due to immigration concerns. Immigration raids have also produced devastating public health consequences, such as the death of a Latine agricultural worker during the Camarillo raid, and the many reports of individuals in detention being denied vital medications and critical care. Just this week, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to allow ICE raids to continue based on discriminatory profiling in California underscores that immigration enforcement is a public health issue – one that fuels racial discrimination and erodes trust in health systems.
LCHC is committed to working closely with the Newsom Administration, California health systems, and community leaders to implement SB 81 effectively. We also extend our gratitude to the California Latino Caucus that championed a package of immigrant justice proposals to ensure California remains a leader in protecting immigrant families (click here to learn more). Together, we will continue to fight for a state where health, dignity, and human rights are never sacrificed to political attacks.
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Latino Coalition for a Healthy California (LCHC) is the leading statewide policy organization with a specific emphasis on Latine & Indigenous health. For over 33 years, LCHC has worked on transforming systems to achieve health justice. We pride ourselves on translating community solutions into equitable policy and lasting systemic change. Our work focuses on legislative and administrative advocacy, people power, and narrative change.
