“Alex’s life mattered. His death must not be explained away, minimized, or normalized,” Rick Lucas, president of the Ohio Nurses Association, said in the letter. “Alex devoted his career to caring for military veterans and their families. A life dedicated to healing was cut short in the street while speaking out.”
Pretti’s death reflects policies that endanger health care workers, patients, and the communities they serve, Lucas said, adding that nurses’ safety is not separate from their patients’ safety.
“When armed enforcement actions undermine trust, breach privacy, escalate fear, or interfere with the delivery of care, they create a public health crisis,” Lucas said.
Health care safety does not stop at the hospital door, he said.
Policies that impact “access to care, compromise patient confidentiality, or place health care workers in harm’s way are incompatible with public health, community safety, and basic human dignity,” Lucas said.
The Ohio Nurses Association is asking Congress to take the following actions:
- Conduct an independent, transparent investigation into Pretti’s death.
- Reform federal immigration enforcement strategies that place armed agents into communities in ways that escalate risk and violence.
- End federal enforcement practices that create unsafe workplace environments, impede the ability to provide care, or breach HIPAA and patient privacy protections in any health care setting.
- Withhold further federal funding for immigration enforcement activities until robust congressional hearings, meaningful oversight, and enforceable safeguards are in place.
“Nurses and health professionals are already confronting a patient care crisis driven by chronic understaffing and escalating workplace violence. Layering aggressive federal enforcement actions onto these conditions creates yet another manufactured crisis — one we did not create, patients cannot afford, and communities should not be forced to endure," Lucas said.
The Dayton Daily News reached out to members of Ohio’s Congressional Delegation, including U.S. Senators Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno, as well as U.S. representatives representing local districts.
This news outlet received a response from Husted’s office, which said, “When our office receives the letter, we will provide a written response, as we always do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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