Statement of Debbie White, RN, President NJ Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee Thursday, February 12, 2026 In Support of A.4070, the “Privacy Protection Act”

Thank you, Chairman Danielson, Vice Chair Verrelli and members of the Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee for this opportunity to speak to you in support of A.4070, “the Privacy Protection Act,” sponsored by Assemblywoman Quijano.

This legislation is necessary as we are witnessing federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—who have demonstrated a troubling pattern of violence, harassment, intimidation and unlawful detention of across the country.

Health care providers should be informed of their rights, the rights of their patients, and the steps they can take to protect their patients and ensure access to care without fear or discrimination. This legislation provides clarity and consistency so that in every health care facility staff will have policies and training to prepare them if any of these federal law enforcement agents appear at their worksite.

Health care providers have a separate and independent ethical duty to provide appropriate treatment to their patients that should not be overridden by immigration officials or other law enforcement officers absent a warrant or voluntary consent. Thus, health care providers can and should act to protect their patients’ rights. These rights are subject to various legal requirements. Knowing when and how to assert these rights is vital to the protection of access to care.

We acknowledge that healthcare workers for the past twenty years have had the legal obligation to protect patients’ information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This law prohibits the use or disclosure of patient information without patient consent, except when required by law. It is the “required by law” portion of HIPAA that under these current circumstances may create confusion for healthcare workers when approached be federal law enforcement agents of DHS, ICE or CBP.

HPAE represents 15,000 nurses and healthcare workers across New Jersey and the Philadelphia region. Fortunately, our members have not been faced with these situations. There have only been reports of ICE and DHS appearing in hospitals when they are accompanying detainees who require medical attention.

Yet, my colleagues in Oregon are experiencing a different situation. I share with you a quote from one of those nurses.

“They (ICE agents) asked for information regarding the patient’s condition multiple times, which I told them was not allowed and that I would not tell them anything. At one point they told me the patient wanted to leave against medical advice, and I told them I had to hear it from the patient themselves … The patient didn’t want to leave and was just scared,” the nurse wrote.

These scenarios place healthcare workers in precarious situations, adding to a workplace that is already overstressed and overworked. In addition, immigrants have played an important role in healthcare, often filling workforce shortages. According to an analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey done by the Kaiser Family Foundation, they reported that one in six hospital workers, both clinical and nonclinical staff, are immigrants. If immigrant healthcare workers fear that they themselves could be detained at work, this will only lead to understaffing and poorer quality of care, as many may leave to find work in a safer location.

We applaud Assemblywoman Quijano for her work on this legislation to ensure patient data is protected, that our healthcare facilities will be prepared to safely guard patient information, that workers will have clear policies and training and that patients have avenues of recourse if their information is unlawfully shared with federal agents.

We also applaud those healthcare facilities who have already taken steps to develop policies and train staff. Unfortunately, in our experience, some employers have not yet developed these critical policies or the necessary training, leaving healthcare workers and patients vulnerable.

So, I urge the members of the Committee to vote Yes in favor of A.4070 to ensure New Jersey is doing everything in their power to protect our patients and our healthcare workforce.

Thank you for your consideration on this matter.