Advocacy

On May 18, 2026, a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego claimed the lives of three members of the mosque community and left others traumatized in the aftermath of this act of hate-based violence. We mourn the lives lost and extend our deepest support to the victims, their families, and the broader Muslim community affected by this tragedy.

National APAMSA strongly condemns Islamophobia, hate-driven extremism, and all forms of violence targeting religious and marginalized communities. Consistent with our previous statements and APAMSA policy compendium, National APAMSA recognizes gun violence as a preventable public health crisis and urges legislators to implement stronger gun safety measures. Places of worship should remain spaces of safety, healing, and community, not fear. We also recognize the courage and heroism displayed by those who acted to protect others during the attack.

As an organization committed to health equity and advocacy, APAMSA stands in solidarity with Muslim communities in San Diego and across the nation. We remain committed to supporting communities impacted by hate, violence, and discrimination, and to advocating for a safer and more compassionate future for all.

Resources

• Islamic Center of San Diego Community Support Fund
  • • Donations will support victims, families, and community recovery efforts following the shooting
    • bit.ly/supportICSD 
• National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
  • • Call or text 988 for immediate confidential support
• Disaster Distress Helpline
  • • 1-800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746
    • Immediate emotional support after traumatic events
• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
  • • https://ca.cair.com/community-resources/
    • Community advocacy, reporting resources, and support for those affected by anti-Muslim discrimination and violence
• Asian Mental Health Collective
  • • https://www.asianmhc.org/
    • Therapist directory and mental health resources for AANHPI communities
• APAMSA Mental Health Initiative
  • • https://www.apamsa.org/mental-health-initiative/
    • APAMSA Resource list

On April 6, 2026, Dr. Ezequiel Veliz, a family medicine physician serving in the Rio Grande Valley, was detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents at a checkpoint in South Texas. Days later, on April 11, 2026, Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar, an emergency medicine resident in a federally designated medically underserved area, was detained at an airport in McAllen, Texas while traveling with her 5-year-old U.S.-citizen daughter to attend a scheduled asylum interview. These events occur amid broader immigration enforcement policies that have disrupted the ability of foreign-trained physicians to continue practicing in the United States, particularly in underserved communities. 

Immigration enforcement actions have increasingly targeted immigrants and pose a significant threat to healthcare access at both local and national levels. International medical graduates represent one in four physicians in the U.S. medical workforce and disproportionately serve medically underserved communities. In medically underserved regions, the removal of even a single physician can disrupt care delivery and strain already-limited resources. More broadly, such actions risk creating a chilling effect across the medical workforce by discouraging physicians from training or practicing in high-need areas. Recent increases in H-1B visa filing fees and stricter immigration policies have already contributed to this effect, with some residency programs no longer accepting H-1B applicants due to new fees that increase sponsorship costs for foreign-trained physicians by up to 4900%. Despite recent exemptions for some applications submitted by immigrant physicians, ongoing enforcement practices continue to contribute to fear and instability among immigrant healthcare workers. These barriers threaten the ability of immigrant physicians to continue filling critical shortages seen in underserved communities. 

Immigration enforcement actions also contribute to a growing climate of fear among immigrant communities, discouraging individuals from seeking medical attention even in urgent situations. A recent survey found that nearly half of likely undocumented immigrant adults and 14% of immigrant adults overall reported avoiding medical care due to immigration-related concerns. When patients fear detention, healthcare settings cease to function as safe spaces, creating significant barriers to essential care.

National APAMSA strongly condemns the detention of Dr. Rubeliz Bolivar and Dr. Ezequiel Veliz in addition to broad, indiscriminate immigration enforcement practices that have resulted in the detention of law-abiding individuals. These actions directly conflict with established APAMSA policies, which oppose the presence of immigration enforcement in healthcare settings and recognize fear of detention as a major barrier to care. APAMSA further supports expanding healthcare access regardless of immigration status and advocates for the health and safety of migrant populations. We express deep concern over enforcement practices that disrupt patient care and threaten public health, and call for increased transparency, accountability, and policy reform to protect both patients and healthcare professionals. 

On March 17, 2026, the U.S. Senate began discussions on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which aims to address allegations of widespread voter fraud and election integrity by introducing more stringent requirements for personal identification and proof of citizenship. However, this may impose additional barriers by shifting the burden of proving eligibility to the individual voter, potentially reducing civic participation.

What changes are proposed?

The SAVE Act requires:

1. Proof of U.S. citizenship using a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate for voter registration
2. A government-issued photo identification for requesting and submitting mail-in ballots
3. States to verify voter eligibility through federal databases in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security

How could this affect you?

• Roughly half of U.S. citizens do not have a passport, meaning they may need to rely on a birth certificate for voter registration
• REAL IDs in many states do not indicate citizenship, making them insufficient for verification without additional proof of citizenship
• About 80% of women in heterosexual marriages take their partner’s last name, complicating their ability to register without proof of legal name change
• Stricter registration requirements could reduce the accessibility of voter registration through online and in-person voter registration drives
• Potential changes in status (e.g., name changes, naturalization, moving to other states) could lead to ballots being flagged during federal verification, and in some cases, not counted
• The financial burden to acquire the documents necessary to register to vote may create barriers for those facing financial strain
• To vote by mail, voters may need to send a copy of their ID to request a ballot, and another copy when they submit their ballot

Why does this matter?

National APAMSA strongly condemns this bill due to its potential to create barriers to civic participation and equitable access to voting. These changes may disproportionately impact communities with limited access to documentation, including naturalized citizens and historically marginalized populations. In alignment with our policy compendium and as mentioned in previous statements, National APAMSA recognizes that access to voting is a critical social determinant of health, with direct implications for both individual and community well-being. 

What can you do?

We urge you to contact your local senator to express your opposition to the SAVE Act. Resources such as 5 Calls and When We All Vote can help you find and reach your elected officials.

On January 7, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen, during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. A nearby physician was restricted from administering life support immediately after the shooting. Weeks later, on January 24, 2026, ICE agents in Minneapolis brutally murdered a second U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, who was a 37-year-old ICU nurse attempting to help a civilian who had been pepper-sprayed. These deaths have occurred in the backdrop of at least 30 other deaths at ICE detention centers since the beginning of the Trump administration. 

As students in the healthcare profession, we are frustrated by the blatant disregard for life in these encounters, as medical professionals are barred from providing emergency care for the communities they serve. Unrelenting immigration raids have prompted a public health emergency, as many immigrants have become too fearful to step outside their homes to seek medical care at hospitals that were once protected spaces. 

Immigration enforcement raids have rattled the nation with indiscriminate investigations, deportations, and detention, often relying on racial profiling to target communities of color. A recent Supreme Court order (Noem v. Vasquez Perdomo) will condone investigations based on subjective assessments, such as skin tone or accented speech, allowing the U.S. Government to continue race-based searches if they meet “reasonable suspicion.” 

National APAMSA strongly condemns the tragic killing of both Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE and is deeply concerned about federal officials’ lethal weaponization of immigration enforcement. APAMSA stands firmly against any form of violence and reaffirms its commitment to protect human lives, regardless of immigration status or background. We mourn the loss of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and extend our condolences to their family, friends, and community members affected by these tragedies. 

We call for increased scrutiny of federal immigrant official deployment and practices and a full, unbiased investigation into these shootings. Furthermore, we urge comprehensive training for all law enforcement agents to de-escalate encounters and prevent the loss of innocent lives. 

On January 5, 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled a new childhood immunization schedule that has now curtailed the number of recommended vaccinations for children from 17 diseases to 11 diseases. Exactly one month after a presidential memorandum was issued to reexamine childhood immunization schedules, the CDC no longer recommends routine immunization with Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Rotavirus, Meningococcal, and COVID-19. Instead, these vaccinations will be based on “Shared Clinical Decision-making” between parents and physicians, despite long-standing evidence of their benefits in protecting children’s lives. Hepatitis B, which affects a disproportionate portion of the AANHPI population, will no longer be universally recommended at birth according to new CDC guidelines. 

APAMSA and NCAPIP are deeply concerned about the abrupt changes in the CDC’s childhood immunization schedule, made without public input or a rigorous scientific examination of the risks and benefits. These decisions may further erode trust in public health agencies and increase vaccination hesitancy. Recent research has already shown a decline in childhood vaccinations such as Mumps-Measles-Rubella, leading to outbreaks of measles across the nation. 

As mentioned in a previous statement and in our policy compendium, we remain committed to advocating for universal Hepatitis B vaccinations and other necessary childhood immunizations. We urge policymakers at public health institutions to reconsider these changes and focus on evidence-based guidelines that match the United States population and its risks, rather than mirroring other countries’ individualized vaccination schedules.

Resources:

The American Academy of Pediatrics now maintains its own immunization schedule following the replacement of all members on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) by the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., last year.