January 23, 2026

To: Governor Hobbs

Senators Kelly and Gallego

Members of the Arizona State Legislature

Arizona Representatives to the United States House of Representatives

As physicians and physicians in training bound by the Hippocratic Oath, we can no longer stand by as violent, warrantless, raids and traumatic family separations directly undermine our work and cause harm to our patients. Our professional obligation to do no harm, respect patient privacy, treat the sick and uphold human dignity is incompatible with policies that create fear and prevent people from seeking medical care.

Last week, our colleagues in Minnesota provided devastating testimony: terrified pregnant women laboring alone at home, people with diabetes being forced to go without insulin, and children in respiratory distress suffering without treatment. While the ICE presence in Arizona has not yet reached that scale, physicians across our state are organizing preemptively, to send a clear and unwavering message: we stand with our patients, and we stand with our colleagues in Minnesota and across the country.

Last week, ICE officers detained a 5-year-old boy, Liam, and use him as bait to capture his father. Both were transported to a detention center in Texas, hundreds of miles away from their home, while Liam’s mother did not know her child’s whereabouts for hours. While this incident is abhorrent, sadly it is not an isolated episode. Since the new administration took office in 2025, 3,800 children—including 20 infants—have been detained.

ICE has stated that these raids target “the worst of the worst”.  However, the reality tells a different story. US citizens have been wrongfully detained due to racial profiling. Individuals with lawful asylum claims or legal immigration pathways are being detained despite compliance with the law.  Elderly people, pregnant women, and children have been taken into custody. In fact, 73.6% of people in ICE detention have no criminal records, rendering the justification for these aggressive tactics untenable.

The health consequences of these raids are severe and far-reaching. Extreme fear prevents people from seeking emergency care or accessing lifesaving medications.  Those who are detained often receive inadequate medical care: miscarriages due to delayed treatment, individuals with chronic illnesses held without medications, and children facing infection and malnutrition.  Beyond physical harm, the psychological trauma—whether experienced directly or witnessed—will cause lifelong suffering.

As physicians, we understand that even brief traumatic events can result in lasting mental health consequences, including PTSD, depression and anxiety. For young children, whose brains are still forming, family separation and state-sanctioned violence can permanently impair cognitive, emotional, and physical development. Entire communities are experiencing collective trauma that will reverberate for generations.

As medical providers, we urgently call on elected officials at all levels to:

·      Require ICE officers to wear uniforms or clearly identifiable insignia

·      Prohibit officers from covering their faces to foster accountability

·      Investigate and hold accountable the use of excessive force

·      Require verification of identification and legal documentation before arrest

·      Prohibit detention of individuals with pending asylum cases or lawful status who have no criminal record  

·      Ensure timely and appropriate medical care for all detained individuals, especially pregnant women, children, and those with chronic conditions

·      Pursue alternatives to child detention

·      Prohibit officers from entering patient care areas in hospitals and clinics without a valid judicial warrant

Nowhere in the Hippocratic Oath do we pledge allegiance to any particular culture, race, religion, gender or political party. Physicians are compassionate professionals who see the humanity in all people, and we will continue to advocate for the safety and health of all of those in our communities.

Sincerely,

The undersigned physicians and physicians in training from across the state of Arizona