Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont Chapter, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Vermont, American College of Physicians Vermont, Vermont Psychiatric Association and the Vermont Academy of Family Physicians are deeply concerned by reports coming from our colleagues around the country regarding the impact of immigration enforcement activity on patient health and wellbeing. Not only is enforcement occurring in and around health care settings, including hospitals, emergency departments, and community practices, but fear among immigrant communities is preventing individuals from leaving their homes to attend medical appointments, work, school and obtain needed food and medicine. This fear extends even to American citizens who fear being targeted for their color or apparent national origin.
When individuals are afraid to leave their homes or seek medical or mental health care for themselves or their families, it places their health at risk, interferes with clinicians’ ability to provide timely and appropriate care, and undermines the essential trust that health care institutions depend upon to function effectively. These impacts are felt across the lifespan—by children whose development and emotional well-being are affected by fear and instability, by adults managing acute and chronic illness, and by families striving to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy. It can be particularly traumatizing to experience violence at the hands of law enforcement.
Health care workers are also afraid to show up for work, and these individuals are often the backbone of hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. Health care settings must remain places of healing, safety, and dignity. In order to fulfill our professional oaths and responsibilities, clinicians must be able to practice in environments that promote safety and trust—not fear—particularly for our most vulnerable patients and staff.
As Vermont organizations representing primary care, pediatrics, psychiatry, and the broader medical community, we reaffirm that access to health care is a cornerstone of public health. We call for policies and practices that allow patients to seek needed care without fear, and that enable clinicians to provide compassionate, trauma-informed care to all children, families, and adults, regardless of immigration status.
Our organizations will continue to monitor evolving conditions. Vermont-specific resources for responding to immigration enforcement activities in health care facilities for both health professionals and community members can be found here: https://vtmd.org/resources-on-immigration-enforcement .
About the Vermont Medical Society: The Vermont Medical Society is the leading voice of physicians in the state and is dedicated to optimizing the health of all Vermonters and the health care environment in which Vermont physicians and physician assistants practice medicine. The Society serves its 3,100 members through public policy advocacy on the state and federal levels, as well as by providing legal, administrative and educational support, producing a rich flow of news and information and offering member benefits that increase medical practice effectiveness and efficiency. For more information, visit www.VTMD.org.
Montpelier, VT (January 29th, 2026): Vermont Medical Society
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