Too afraid to leave home: ICE’s toll on Latino HIV care in the United States

March 5, 2026

Following the December launch of ICE's Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, Latino patients are increasingly avoiding HIV-related healthcare due to fear of immigration enforcement, even though many are U.S. citizens. Clinics report dramatic drops in patient visits—the Aliveness Project has seen over 50% fewer new clients and 100 fewer weekly visitors since the operation began—while HIV testing among Latino populations has plummeted. This decline is particularly concerning because Latinos are 72% more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than the general population, and new infections among this group increased 24% between 2010 and 2022.

Who is affected

Latino patients in Minnesota, both documented and undocumented
Albé Sanchez (30-year-old queer Mexican American sexual health educator and U.S. citizen)
People living with HIV in the Latino community
LGBTQ individuals within Latino communities
Patients at the Aliveness Project (community wellness center in Minneapolis)
Patients at Red Door clinic (Minnesota's largest STI and HIV clinic)
Healthcare providers and clinic staff serving these communities
People detained or deported by ICE, particularly those living with HIV
Renee Nicole Good (unarmed bystander killed by ICE agent)
Two men living with HIV denied medication in Brooklyn jail
A man who died of HIV complications in ICE custody in Arizona (January 2025)

What action is being taken

ICE is conducting Operation Metro Surge with over 3,000 agents in Minnesota streets
Latino patients are delaying or canceling HIV prevention and treatment appointments
Providers at Aliveness Project are delivering medication directly to patients when possible
Clinics are offering telehealth services
Providers are pausing routine lab work to limit in-person appointments
Healthcare workers are transitioning patients from injectable to oral HIV treatments
Providers are urging patients to carry pills at all times in case of deportation or detention
Community health workers continue going into the community to promote and provide HIV testing (though people are not showing up)
The Trump administration is proposing cuts of $600 million to HIV-related grants (temporarily blocked by a federal judge)
Aliveness Project staff is working to reconnect with people through outreach efforts

Why it matters

This situation threatens decades of HIV care infrastructure built in Minneapolis and could reverse significant public health progress. Interrupted HIV treatment allows the virus to replicate and mutate, creating medication-resistant strains that cannot be treated and can spread to others—potentially returning the U.S. to 1980s-level HIV crisis conditions. The consequences are particularly severe for Latino communities, who already face a 72% higher HIV diagnosis rate than the general population and have experienced a 24% increase in new infections between 2010 and 2022, even as national rates declined. Patients who are deported may face "death sentences" in countries with limited HIV care access or where being LGBTQ is unsafe. The fear-driven healthcare avoidance is exacerbating longstanding systemic barriers including discrimination, lack of culturally competent providers, language barriers, and stigma within Latino communities. The combination of immigration enforcement and proposed federal funding cuts threatens to create a "cascading disaster" that will take years to repair, as trust between medical providers and patients—which can take years to build—is being destroyed.

What's next

Providers in other cities targeted by ICE will need to make plans for missed injection visits, pivot to telehealth, and prepare teams for trauma
Experts recommend holding the federal government accountable, particularly HHS (Health and Human Services Department)
Experts call for ensuring HIV funding remains intact
Recommendations include implementing more specialized efforts: bilingual and culturally aligned healthcare providers, community-based outreach programs co-located where risk is highest, trust-building initiatives to address medical mistrust, mobile clinics, and targeted programs to re-engage patients who have fallen out of care
Aliveness Project is keeping "a watchful eye" as patient numbers have slightly increased in recent weeks with the waning of the ICE operation
The clinic's biggest focus is reconnecting with people through outreach so no one experiences a lapse in HIV medications or prevention care

Read full article from source: Global Voices