Sen. Tammy Duckworth Opposes ICE Presence at Hines VA Hospital
U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth has formally requested that Doug Collins, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, abandon plans to utilize twelve parking spaces at the Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital as a staging area for agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a letter addressed to Collins, Duckworth called for “swift, decisive action to remove ICE from VA property and facilities,” emphasizing the potential negative impact on patient care.
The announcement of ICE’s intended use of the parking lot sparked a protest at the hospital on September 25, 2023. Duckworth expressed her concern in her letter, stating, “It is preposterous that VA would believe allowing ICE to operate on the Hines campus will not adversely impact delivery of care for Hines’ patients.” The senator, who is also a patient at Hines, highlighted the longstanding parking issues at the facility, which has frequently struggled to accommodate the daily influx of patients, family members, and caregivers.
Duckworth described her personal experience navigating the limited parking, pointing out that many veterans have missed appointments due to the lack of available spaces. “The lack of parking has forced Veterans to miss appointments and made visiting Hines a highly stressful and unpleasant event for Veterans,” she wrote. “I have experienced myself when frantically searching for a parking spot that takes far too long to emerge on the Hines campus.”
In her correspondence, Duckworth urged Collins to reconsider his approach, stating it is “not too late for you to abandon your pathetic capitulation to ICE.” As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, she warned that any obstruction to services at Hines could be leveraged by the Trump administration to justify privatizing the Veterans Affairs system.
The senator underscored the detrimental consequences of ICE operations on Hines property, noting that veterans could be deprived of visits from family members and caregivers who might be fearful of coming near ICE. She criticized the administration for its track record of deporting veterans at an unprecedented rate, arguing that allowing ICE to conduct its civil immigration enforcement operations on VA property constitutes a betrayal of the commitment to prioritize veteran patients’ needs.
Duckworth has also been vocal against the Trump administration’s intentions to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. Alongside Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider, she sought a meeting with Department of Homeland Security officials at the Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago on September 5, 2023. However, their request was denied, with DHS officials locking the doors to their office.
In addition to these concerns, Duckworth and Durbin have obtained information from the FBI, Department of Justice, and Department of Defense regarding the potential military deployment in Chicago. The Department of Veterans Affairs has not yet responded to inquiries for comment regarding Duckworth’s statements and the ICE plan.
The ongoing dialogue around these issues reflects a broader debate about the role of immigration enforcement in sensitive environments like veteran healthcare facilities, emphasizing the need to prioritize the wellbeing of those who have served their country.
