‘Hospitals are for healing, not detention’

Medical neglect at NWDC leads to private prison guards at St. Josephs Medical Center in Tacoma endangering patients, healthcare workers, and community members

TACOMA, WA (November 12, 2025) — After more than five months in detention, Kuya G had lost 40 pounds from malnutrition and extreme medical neglect. A lawful permanent U.S. resident for nearly 20 years, he had tried to get treatment inside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Instead, he suffered until his symptoms were so severe that he was finally sent to St. Joseph Medical Center. There, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and a bone infection, requiring the amputation of part of his foot.

At a rally on Friday, advocates from BAYAN Washington, Migrante Southcenter, Malaya Movement Tacoma, and Philippine U.S. Solidarity Organization (PUSO) Tacoma gathered with supporters to call attention to Kuya G’s case and the broader consequences of medical neglect and the presence of armed guards contracted with ICE at hospitals.

Charlie King, a UFCW Local 3000 union representative, joined the rally to share hospital workers’ solidarity with Kuya G, and to call attention to the ways patients and healthcare workers are harmed by the presence at the hospital of armed guards working for ICE. UFCW Local 3000 represents medical techs at St. Joseph.

“Our members believe hospitals are for healing, not detention,” said King.

The dangers of ICE presence in the hospital are not abstract. Two weeks ago, a guard left their loaded gun in a public bathroom at the hospital for at least six hours. This astounding disregard for the safety of others was roundly condemned by unions representing healthcare workers at St. Josephs.

“If we need further evidence that ICE doesn’t belong in our hospitals, this is it,” said the Washington State Nurses Association in a statement to KING 5. “People already are avoiding going to hospitals for needed care because they’re afraid of ICE. This atrociously unsafe incident just makes it worse.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers have seen a sharp rise in violence at hospitals, including at St. Josephs. Safety concerns were top of mind for nurses bargaining their contract in 2024. For workers already on high alert, the carelessness this ICE contractor demonstrated by leaving a deadly weapon unattended in the middle of a busy healthcare facility is profound.

“That is a shocking breach of safety, one that endangers our patients, our members, and Kuya G himself,” said King, of UFCW 3000.

King drew a connection between the callous actions of for-profit private prison corporations contracted with ICE and how too many healthcare companies prioritize profits at the expense of patients.

“Make no mistake, it is the same corporate greed our workers fight against at the bargaining table that drives this cruelty. Private prison companies and their contractors make money every single day from human suffering,” said King. “And now they are cashing in on Trump’s crackdown on hardworking people. These companies cut corners on care and safety to maximize profit, and our patients and workers pay the price.”

“We are calling for Kuya G to be released from custody so he can heal without fear,” continued King.

Tanggol Migrante reports that the Philippine government has been largely unresponsive to calls to assist Filipinos held in ICE detention and subjected to the increasingly brutal apparatus of detention and deportation. While the Philippine embassy should have worked to ensure Kuya G had quality legal representation, it was Tanggol Migrante Movement and partners that ultimately secured legal representation for him. Inaction from the authorities makes community support for workers like Kuya G all the more essential.

“Kuya G is fighting for his life at St. Joseph Medical Center,” said Ker of Malaya Movement Tacoma, which helped plan the rally. “Kuya G has shared that he feels hopeless and in pain, both physically and emotionally. In moments like this, when the system tries to break his spirit, we must demand accountability on every level.”

Tanggol Migrante is asking supporters to sign their petition in support of Kuya G, and if able, to donate to his legal fund.