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Stanford healthcare workers and activists want hospital officials to keep ICE agents out of patient areas
Stanford healthcare workers, students, supporters and activists want hospital officials to make changes, including stopping federal agents from going into patient areas.
PALO ALTO, Calif. - About 150 Stanford healthcare workers and community activists held a rally on Tuesday outside the hospital to call attention to the presence of ICE agents in their workplace.
This came days after Aleyda Yenysey Rodriguez was detained by ICE, discharged from Stanford, and then taken away by agents.
They said she was denied her dignity.
They're calling on Stanford officials to make changes.
The 47-year-old woman was seen on video being pulled out of her vehicle and taken away by federal agents on Aug. 25 while she was in East Palo Alto.
She fainted during the confrontation with federal agents and was taken to Stanford for treatment.
"What's so special about this case is that the humanity of the person was taken completely away from her,"
said Dr. Yusra Hussain with Stanford Hospital.
She said she met with Rodriguez on Friday morning as she took over being her primary care doctor.
But just hours later, Rodriguez was discharged from Stanford.
"That was the scary part," Hussain said. "She did not look ready to be discharged. She looked very sick and very frail."
The family said Rodriguez suffers from an existing blood disorder for which she was already receiving treatment at Stanford.
The doctor described seeing two federal agents stationed outside Rodriguez's room and a handful of others walking around the hospital ward.
Relatives said Rodriguez was taken to Mesa Verde detention facility in Bakersfield.
Rodriguez's father Armando spoke at the rally and to KTVU with the help of an interpreter.
He said he hasn't been able to see his daughter, not at Stanford or at the facility in Bakersfield.
"Once we are able to see her, she'll be able to respond to us because she's in a very bad state," said Armando Rodriguez.
Supporters demanded changes including that Stanford keep federal agents out of the hospital.
The hospital released a statement that said, "Stanford Healthcare will continue delivering the highest quality clinical care to all our patients and complying with federal law enforcement directives."
"I want them to apologize to the family," Hussain said. "I want them to have a better policy for patients like her when they come in the future."
Rally organizers are asking Stanford Hospital officials to hold a town hall meeting to answer questions from staff, students, and supporters about the way they handled Rodriquez's case.
Amber Lee is a reporter with KTVU. Email Amber at Amber.Lee@Fox.com or text/leave a message at 510-599-3922. Follow her on Facebook @AmberKTVU, Instagram @AmberKTVU or Twitter @AmberKTVU