What is “protecting sensitive locations” guidance?
In 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued guidance prohibiting immigration enforcement actions in certain “sensitive locations,” which included hospitals. The guidance applied to arrests, searches, inspections, seizures, interviews, surveillance, and other enforcement activities.
In 2021, DHS expanded on this guidance to prohibit enforcement “at or near” a broader range of protected areas, to include:
- “A medical or mental healthcare facility, such as a hospital, doctor’s office, health clinic, vaccination or testing site, urgent care center, site that serves pregnant individuals, or community health center.”
- “A social services establishment, such as a crisis center, domestic violence shelter, victims services center, child advocacy center, supervised visitation center, family justice center, community-based organization, facility that serves disabled persons, homeless shelter, drug or alcohol counseling and treatment facility, or food bank or pantry or other establishment distributing food or other essentials of life to people in need.”
Other sensitive locations in the guidance included schools, churches and other places of worship, playgrounds and other places where children gather, and disaster response sites.
On January 25, 2025, the Trump Administration rescinded the 2021 Protecting Sensitive Locations guidance. Since that time, immigration enforcement activities have taken place at and near these locations, which was previously disallowed.
