Raman Joins Protest After ICE Activity at Boyle Heights Hospital

Federal immigration agents blocked the emergency entrance at Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center for about two hours on Friday night and early Saturday, prompting the hospital to divert ambulances. Hospital president Daniel Fontoura said staff called 911 in an effort to stop the blockade. He said the hospital has no special relationship or contract with federal agents, who come to the facility when they need to.

Raman Joins Boyle Heights Residents in Condemning ICE Hospital Blockade

Federal agents’ blockade of a hospital emergency entrance in Boyle Heights is exactly the kind of immigration enforcement that leaves patients and neighbors fearful. On November 7, Mayor-elect Nithya Raman joined protesters outside White Memorial Medical Center, where ambulances had been diverted for about two hours during an overnight operation. Protesters said agents used pepper spray and detained U.S. citizens; the hospital said agents blocked the ambulance entrance without its authorization.

Raman, who said she is an immigrant, led chants calling for ICE to leave Boyle Heights and Los Angeles. Outgoing Mayor Karen Bass urged the Trump administration to stop immigration enforcement around health care facilities, saying hospital leadership also had a duty to protect patients and neighbors.

Sen. Maria Elena Durazo and other officials delivered a letter seeking a detailed account of what happened and procedures to prevent agents from obstructing entrances or accessing patient rooms. It asks for a written response by November 21 and says unresolved concerns could prompt a review by the California attorney general.

Fontoura denied that the hospital has a special relationship or contract with federal agents, saying they come to the facility when they need to. But the community’s demand is for more than an assurance: it is for clear protections so access to medical care is not overshadowed by immigration enforcement.

Hospital ICE Protest Puts Enforcement and Public Safety in Focus

The confrontation at White Memorial Medical Center has become a political test for Los Angeles’ incoming mayor, even as key details about the federal operation remain undisclosed. Federal agents transported someone they had detained to the emergency department on Friday night for medical reasons that were not made public. The hospital said the agents blocked its ambulance entrance for roughly two hours, forcing ambulances to be diverted.

On November 7, Mayor-elect Nithya Raman joined demonstrators and led chants demanding that ICE leave Boyle Heights and Los Angeles. Outgoing Mayor Karen Bass called on the Trump administration to stop immigration enforcement around health care facilities. Their response puts opposition to federal enforcement at the center of a confrontation that began with a person in custody needing hospital care.

Hospital president Daniel Fontoura said staff called 911 to try to end the blockade and denied that the hospital has any special relationship or contract with federal agents. He said agents come to the hospital when they need to. Protesters alleged that agents pepper-sprayed demonstrators and detained U.S. citizens, while LAPD said its officers did not take part in immigration enforcement.

Raman has criticized LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and pledged to replace him. Her public safety plan also calls for an audit of police compliance with the city’s sanctuary law, which limits sharing immigration information with federal authorities. The episode now raises competing demands: protect access to emergency care while accounting for federal agents’ presence and the city’s approach to enforcement.