My Home: Kidnappings in New York

I am an immigrant from South Korea, a former palliative care doctor, and now—because of ICE agents kidnapping immigrants—I am a volunteer immigration court observer and escort at 26 Federal Plaza. This is the building where I once stood in long lines and became a US citizen. I live nearby, and I often walk past it, remembering it as the place where I was welcomed as an American.

My first day of volunteering began with a medical emergency. As soon as I entered the building, I noticed an older immigrant slumped in a wheelchair, appearing to have fainted or near fainted. Two terrified family members stood close by, while four Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers surrounded them. I stepped forward, identified myself as a physician, and asked if I could help. To my shock, the DHS officers demanded proof that I was a doctor—something I had never experienced in any Good Samaritan situation. Like many physicians, I had assisted in in-flight medical emergencies and other public crises without ever being asked to produce credentials. Nonetheless, I showed these officers—who refused to identify themselves—a wallet version of my New York medical license. (I ordered a wallet-sized copy of my medical license for the first time in March of this year because as an immigrant in our current environment, I figured I would always need to prove who I am.)

Once permitted to help, my first question was whether 911 had been called. They said yes. Another volunteer, an EMT who had just completed nursing school, joined me. He too was forced to show proof of his credentials before assisting. I worried the patient might be hypoglycemic and asked for juice. The DHS officers said there was none in the building and told the family to buy some. I offered to go instead. Before I left, I asked again about the ambulance and was told it was on the way. I ran across the street to a café. The line was long, but when I shouted that I needed juice for a sick immigrant being harassed by DHS, peop