End Medical Deportation Campaign

What is medical deportation?
Medical deportation occurs when a hospital pays a private company to physically remove an immigrant patient to another country to avoid having to provide long-term medical care. This shameful practice can lead to the death or serious disability of a patient. Free Migration Project is working with a coalition of advocates, organizations, and community members under the name "End Medical Deportation Campaign" to end this practice in the U.S.
- In June 2021, Free Migration Project and the University of Pennsylvania Law School Legislative Clinic released a report titled "Fatal Flights: Medical Deportation in the U.S."
- On Monday, June 28, 2021 we held a panel discussion with members of the End Medical Deportation Campaign including Claudia, a community member whose family experienced an attempted medical deportation; Erica Rodarte, a Penn Law alumni and one of the authors of the report; and Maripat Pileggi, an attorney at Community Legal Services. You can watch the full event on our YouTube channel.
- Please see below for additional information and resources about our effort to end medical deportation:
- One-page overview of medical deportation
- Case example: A.V. (client of FMP) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Read about "Fatal Flights: Medical Deportation in the U.S."
¿Qué es la deportación médica?
La deportación médica ocurre cuando un hospital paga a una empresa privada para que traslade físicamente a un paciente inmigrante a otro país para evitar tener que brindar atención médica a largo plazo. Esta terrible práctica puede provocar la muerte o una discapacidad grave al paciente. Free Migration Project está trabajando con una coalición de defensores, organizaciones y miembros de la comunidad bajo el nombre "Campaña Contra la Deportación Médica" para poner fin a esta práctica en los EE. UU.
- En junio de 2021, Free Migration Project y la Clínica Legislativa de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Pensilvania publicaron un informe titulado "Vuelos fatales: deportación médica en los EE. UU.", puede leerlo en inglés aquí: "Fatal Flights: Medical Deportation in the U.S.". La version en español será publicada próximamente.
- El lunes 28 de junio de 2021 realizamos un panel de discusión con miembros de la Campaña Contra la Deportación Médica que incluyó a Claudia, miembro de la comunidad cuya familia experimentó un intento de deportación médica; Erica Rodarte, exalumnas de la Escuela de Derecho de la Universidad de Pensilvania y una de las autoras del informe; y Maripat Pileggi, abogada de Community Legal Services. Puede ver el evento completo en nuestro canal de YouTube.
- Consulte los siguientes enlaces para obtener información y recursos adicionales sobre nuestro esfuerzo para poner fin a la deportación médica:

End Medical Deportation Campaign Press*
2023
- El Ayuntamiento está más cerca de aprobar una legislación que prohíba la “deportación médica”, Impacto, November 22, 2023
- City Council moves closer to approving legislation banning ‘medical deportation’, Metro Philadelphia, November 21, 2023
- Deportaciones médicas en Filadelfia parecen tener sus días contados, Univision, November 21, 2023
- Discuten tema de la deportación médica en Filadelfia, Telemundo, November 21, 2023
- What our photographers saw on Wednesday, Nov. 1, The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 3, 2023
- Se manifiestan en Filadelfia en contra la deportación médica, Impacto, November 3, 2023
- Alzan la voz contra la deportación médica en Filadelfia, Telemundo, November 1, 2023
- How One Bill Can Put an End to All Medical Deportations in Philadelphia, 34th Street, October 13, 2023
- Philadelphia considers first US bill to end unlawful medical deportations Prism, October 11, 2023
- Philly City Councilmember seeks to stop ‘medical deportations’ that expel sick immigrants Philadelphia Inquirer, September 29, 2023
- Las deportaciones médicas podrían ser cosa del pasado en Filadelfia Telemundo 62, September 29, 2023
- “Concejal de la ciudad de Filadelfia busca detener las ‘deportaciones médicas’ que expulsan a inmigrantes enfermos –” News ES Euro September 29, 2023
- ¿Fin a deportaciones médicas? Hospitales de Filadelfia no podrían sacar a inmigrantes enfermos Univision, September 29, 2023
- Philly hospitals would be unable to remove sick immigrants from U.S. without consent under proposed law Philly Voice, September 29, 2023
- Les défenseurs appellent à un changement de réglementation après avoir bloqué l’expulsion d’une femme dans le coma, Tous Suspects, September 15, 2023
- Un hôpital de Pennsylvanie tente d’expulser une femme sans papiers dans le coma, Tous Suspects, September 15, 2023
- Advocates want legislative reform for Medical Deportation. Where do Philadelphia’s 2023 Mayoral Candidates fall on the issue, Al Día, May 5, 2023
- Immigration activists believe they've stopped the 'medical deportation" of comatose patient in Allentown, Philadelphia Inquirer March 10th, 2023
- 'No one keeps track of it': So-called 'medical deportation' not unique, expert says, Lehigh Valley News March 10th, 2023
- Comatose mother at Lehigh Valley Hospital will not be deported, WFMZ 69 News March 10th, 2023
- A Lehigh Valley Hospital Is Trying To Deport An Undocumented Comatose Patient, Bucks County Beacon March 10th
- Advocates gather at Lehigh Valley Hospital, deliver letter asking hospital not to send comatose patient back to home country WFMZ 69 News March 8th, 2023
- Mother in coma at LVHN facing deportation, Lehigh Valley News March 8th, 2023
- Hospital Threatens to Deport Comatose Mother for Undocumented Status, Scrubs Magazine March 8th, 2023
- Pennsylvania hospital wants to send woman in coma to Dominican Republic, against her family’s wishes, 90.5 WESA Pennsylvania NPR News Station March 7th, 2023
- Recolectan firmas para evitar la deportación de una dominicana en coma ingresada en EEUU Listin Diario, March 6, 2023
- Activists: LVHN planning to 'medically deport' comatose patient back to Dominican Republic, WFMZ 69 News March 6th, 2023
- Why this hospital is threatening to send a comatose woman back to her home country, Becker’s Hospital Review March 6th, 2023
- Piden a un hospital de Pennsylvania no deportar a una mujer en coma a República Dominicana Telemundo, March 5, 2023
- Pennsylvania Hospital Wants to Deport an Undocumented Dominican Woman in a Coma, Yahoo Life March 3rd, 2023
- Hospital Seeks to Deport Undocumented Dominican Patient in Coma, Mitú March 3rd, 2023
- A Pennsylvania hospital is trying to deport an undocumented woman in a coma, Prism March 2nd, 2023
- Vuelos mortales: deportaciones médicas en Pensilvania, Univision
2022
2021
- "Medical Deportations and Ongoing and Often Neglected Violation of Patient’s Rights," National Law Review, July 22, 2021.
- "Penn Law & Free Migration Project Report Reveals Ongoing Unreported Violations of Patient Rights with Medical Deportations," Penn Law News, June 10, 2021.
2020
- “Immigration advocates gather to stop Philly hospital from shipping undocumented man with severe brain injury back to Guatemala” The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 24, 2020
- “Immigration Advocates Want To Prevent Jefferson Health From Sending Undocumented Patient to Guatemala” CBS Philly, June 25, 2020
- "Philadelphia hospital tries to deport undocumented patient as he recovers from a serious accident" Prism, June 25, 2020
- “Guatemalan immigrant who faced a hospital ‘medical deportation’ has been moved to long-term care facility” The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 31, 2020