Medical Care or Deportation: Examining Interior Border Checkpoints and Access to Higher-Level Medical Care for Undocumented Immigrants in South Texas.

Abstract

We examined the impacts of interior border checkpoints on access to higher-level medical care via ground ambulance for undocumented immigrants in South Texas. Using purposive sampling, we conducted interviews (n = 30) with ground ambulance personnel in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Procedures implemented in 2018 mandate that hospitals notify Border Patrol of a patient's legal status before transfer. Undocumented immigrants cannot access higher-level medical care through ground ambulance transport without notifying Border Patrol. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 23, 2025:e1-e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307927).