The incumbent shutdown regulations imposed by the Trump administration are not the best time for leaders to provide an answer to some of the burning questions. And that is exactly what the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, did in her latest media briefing, which has now made her a mouthpiece for all kinds of criticism from the doctors’ front.
It all happened after she opted for a diplomatic response on the status of immigration in the country, especially during a time of urgency, dealing with a dying patient at hand. With so much chaos and unanswered queries going into the deaf ear, an aversion to clearing the gray areas from someone in her position is now being majorly flagged as an ‘immoral’ choice.
A reporter recently chanced upon Karoline and ended up asking her, “Should ERs check immigration status before treating a dying patient?” The Press Secretary did not think much before avoiding giving a direct reply as she said, “That’s probably not a question for me to answer. I think that’s a question for healthcare professionals and legal experts to answer.”
REPORTER: Should ERs check immigration status before treating a dying patient?
LEAVITT: That’s probably not a question for me to answer. That’s a question for healthcare professionals and legal experts to answer.
(That’s not a no!) pic.twitter.com/EOebtDZKkT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 2, 2025
While it is evident that Leavitt simply averted giving a concrete answer to what seems to be a moral choice that any doctor would make, she is nonetheless getting gaslighted among the circle of doctors and medical health professionals.
Soon after, CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who is also a renowned cardiologist and professor at George Washington University, was quick to note that the very idea of denying medical facilities as emergency care for a dying patient at hand was completely immoral. In a social media post, Dr. Reiner wrote, “Requiring ERs to check immigration status before providing emergency care to a dying patient would be grossly immoral, and no doctor I know would comply. I certainly wouldn’t.”
Requiring ERs to check immigration status before providing emergency care to a dying patient would be grossly immoral and no doctor I know would comply. I certainly wouldn’t. https://t.co/G6dNifK2pb
— Jonathan Reiner (@JReinerMD) October 3, 2025
On the other hand, Dr. Craig Spencer, an ER physician, looked back at his valuable experiences and mentioned how he, as a doctor, has never discriminated against any of his patients on the basis of their immigration status. Aspects like these, as well as the insurance of the patient, are way beyond the first priority of saving lives for the doctor.
He added, “My job is to respond to the person in front of me, as if neither immigration nor insurance matters. Because in that moment, neither of those things matters. So tell me, what do Americans want me to do when the person dying before me is undocumented? Let them die? And what if they’re uninsured? Check that they’ve paid their monthly dues before I check their pulse?”
In 18 years as an ER doc, I ask about immigration status about as often as I ask about insurance—which is never
My job is to respond to the person in front me, as if neither immigration or insurance matters
Because in that moment, neither of those things matter
So tell me,… https://t.co/OeOCnUolMa
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) October 2, 2025
Spencer went on to deeply criticize how morally incorrect it was to even argue about not providing emergency care to just a handful of the population, based on the alleged rules and regulations written on all but a piece of paper. He further expressed, “We should stop making this an argument about providing emergency care to certain populations. And start asking how it reflects on us all if we’re truly willing to withhold care in those moments of emergency — just because of what a piece of paper might or might not say.”
As an actual healthcare provider in the emergency room, it is wholly unethical for me to ask someone their immigration status or ability to pay before I treat them. The fact we need to say this proves how much we have already fallen as a nation. Total lack of empathy. https://t.co/bpF37elZpi
— Dr Mickolas, MD (@Mickolas9) October 2, 2025
Meanwhile, with the imposition of the shutdown, the Trump administration has been continuously attempting to shift the blame to the predecessor Democrats. The former have accused the other party of misleading funds, which has now resulted in taking such a major decision.
