DNPs of Color Statement on Federal immigration Enforcement and Community Safety

DNPs of Color is deeply alarmed by federal immigration enforcement practices that have been terrorizing Black, Brown, immigrant, and mixed-status communities across the United States. Militarized operations are fracturing families, eroding trust in public institutions, and driving people away from needed health and social services.

Recent events, including the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis, underscore the deadly consequences of these practices. We mourn this loss of life. We also recognize that communities have been living under threat and surveillance long before this incident.

This is not only a political issue, it is a public health emergency and an ethical crisis for the nursing profession.

The ANA Code of Ethics requires nurses to protect human dignity, confront injustice, and advocate for conditions that support health and safety. Silence in the face of state violence is incompatible with nursing’s ethical obligations.

We call on healthcare institutions, nursing organizations, and policymakers to condemn enforcement practices that endanger lives and to pursue humane, rights-respecting approaches that protect community safety and access to care.

DNPs of Color stands in solidarity with all communities affected and remains committed to advancing justice, dignity, and health for all.