Underground Healthcare Networks Aid Immigrant Families in Minneapolis
TL/DR –
In Minneapolis, underground healthcare networks consisting of volunteer doctors and nurses are bringing healthcare to the homes of families who are too afraid of immigration enforcement to seek medical help. The Trump administration has begun winding down its immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, but many are still hiding in their homes and avoiding seeking medical treatment. To combat this, healthcare providers are creating underground networks that allow them to visit patients at home, often utilizing white volunteer drivers to minimize targeting by ICE.
Minneapolis Humans Rights Network Organizes Underground Healthcare
In Minneapolis, volunteer doctors and nurses have established an underground healthcare network to provide care to families too afraid of immigration enforcement to seek medical assistance in conventional settings. Despite the Trump administration winding down its immigration crackdown, thousands of residents remain hidden inside their homes, too scared to receive healthcare externally.
Democratic state Senator and physician Alice Mann emphasized that the fear of seeking hospital care in 2026 is a severe issue and suggests similar ICE deployments could have significant medical implications in other parts of the U.S.
Doctors, nurses, and volunteers in Minneapolis have created networks enabling them to quietly visit patients at their residences. Midwife Fernanda Honebrink is part of this network, reaching out to pediatricians for advice when visiting a 1-year-old at home due to her specialized field in midwifery as opposed to pediatric care.
The story highlights the fear in these families, and for the security of these families, their identities have been kept confidential. Patients are being scheduled for in-person appointments with their pediatrician and provided transport by vetted volunteer drivers, predominantly being white individuals to avoid suspicion.
Despite the ICE ‘Operation Metro Surge’ coming to an end in December, ICE officials have been reported to be present around hospitals in several places. Nurse practitioner Emily Carroll from a clinic just outside Minneapolis is among the healthcare professionals making home visits to patients, sharing her inability to guarantee safety at a hospital.
Efforts to ensure immediate medical care are visible through the actions of nurse practitioner Munira Maalimisaq, who has organized a rapid response team of over 150 volunteer doctors. They have attended to emergency situations at home, such as helping a woman in labor.
The underground healthcare network is essential for families in hiding with extensive ongoing medical needs. Fear has caused cancellations of essential surgeries and medical appointments, such as a surgery for 2-year-old Gabi’s genetic condition, making this underground network a lifeline for many.
The situation in Minneapolis showcases the significant healthcare repercussions of strict immigration enforcement, highlighting the necessity of innovative solutions like the underground healthcare network. These medical heroes continue to face challenges, but their service to the community remains undeterred.
Original article availablehere.
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