ICE Arrests Near Pennsylvania Hospital Raise Fears Immigrants May Avoid Medical Care

ICE arrests near a Pennsylvania hospital have raised concerns among immigrant advocates after construction workers were stopped and detained on roads near Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, Pennsylvania, on 2 September.

ICE confirmed 10 arrests in Danville that day. Immigration advocates claimed the total number of workers arrested in connection with the incident could exceed 40. At the same time, a witness said the number of people actually detained remained unclear because some workers may have fled or failed to return to work.

Advocates also said workers were targeted again on 8 September, although the circumstances and number of arrests remain disputed.

The figures remain contested, and the available reporting does not establish that more than 40 people were actually detained.

ICE, local police and Geisinger said the arrests did not take place on Geisinger property. The enforcement activity occurred on nearby roads as workers left a construction project connected to the hospital.

The incident has nevertheless raised concerns among immigrant advocates about whether visible immigration enforcement near healthcare facilities could make some people reluctant to seek medical treatment.

Why Did ICE Arrest Workers Near The Pennsylvania Hospital?

The operation involved construction workers connected to an expansion project at Geisinger Medical Center in Montour County.

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported that law enforcement officers stopped workers on roads near the facility as they left for the evening. Mahoning Township Police Chief Frederick Dyroff III said his officers turned five people over to ICE on 2 September.

Geisinger spokesperson Chris Murphy said the enforcement activity did not occur on the healthcare system's property and appeared to involve workers from the Geisinger Medical Center tower construction project.

Murphy said the construction manager was responsible for ensuring workers met federal and state work eligibility requirements.

The distinction is significant because the arrests were reported near a healthcare facility rather than inside its clinical buildings.

Mirna Miranda, Pennsylvania organising director with We Are CASA, said people in immigrant communities were becoming increasingly afraid to go out, including to places where they might need medical help.

'People are afraid to go anywhere,' Miranda said. 'It seems like [ICE] has no frontiers.'

Miranda also said she had spoken with immigrants who faced difficult decisions about whether to seek medical care because they feared arrest. Her comments reflect concerns among advocates, but they do not establish that the Danville arrests caused patients to avoid treatment.

Could Immigration Enforcement Keep Immigrants Away From Healthcare?

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star cited a 2025 Kaiser Family Foundation and New York Times survey in which 51% of immigrant adults said they were somewhat or very concerned about sharing their immigration status with healthcare providers. Among likely undocumented immigrants, the figure was 78%.

The survey also found that 14% of immigrant adults said they or a family member had avoided seeking medical care since January 2025 because of immigration-related concerns. Among likely undocumented immigrants, that figure rose to 48%.

The survey did not examine the Danville arrests specifically, so its findings do not establish that the Pennsylvania operation caused people to avoid healthcare. They do, however, provide broader context for the concerns raised by immigrant advocates.

The debate also comes against a change in federal immigration enforcement policy.

According to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star, the Department of Homeland Security moved on the first day of Donald Trump's second presidential term to reverse a long-standing policy that generally restricted ICE activity in and around certain sensitive locations, including healthcare facilities.

ICE said its enforcement decisions are based on immigration status and that the agency enforces federal law. The agency confirmed 10 arrests connected to the 2 September operation in Danville.

What Remains Unclear About The Danville Arrests?

The scale of the operation remains one of the biggest unanswered questions.

Immigration advocates claimed the total number of workers arrested in connection with the incident could exceed 40, while a witness said it was impossible to determine how many had been detained, fled or simply did not return to work. ICE confirmed 10 arrests in Danville on 2 September.

The circumstances surrounding the operation have also raised questions about surveillance and local police involvement.

Witnesses described what they believed was surveillance around the Geisinger site before the arrests, while ICE declined to discuss its investigative practices. Chief Dyroff said police vehicles were positioned on roads between roughly a quarter of a mile and half a mile from the hospital.

Geisinger said the arrests did not happen on its property.

For immigrant advocates, however, the concern is broader than the precise location of the arrests. They argue that visible immigration enforcement close to healthcare facilities could reinforce existing fears among people who may already worry about seeking medical care.

Whether that fear translates into people actually delaying or avoiding treatment because of the Danville operation remains unconfirmed.