"Access to care for immigrants is a public health issue that should be of concern to all of us," continued Dr. Ralston. "Take the case of immigrants with tuberculosis; under the current system they may be afraid that going to a hospital to seek treatment would place them at risk for deportation. If they decide to delay care because of this fear, it could increase the number of people exposed to the disease exponentially. Imagine if those same immigrants were not only unafraid to visit the hospital, but they were receiving regular primary care services. They may be treated before experiencing any symptoms and decrease the public exposure that much more."

The new policy will need to be complex to adequately reflect the complexity of the issue. It will need to take into consideration:

• The need for the country to control whom it admits within its borders.
• The need for the U.S. to differentiate its treatment of those who comply with the law in establishing legal residency from those who do not.
• That hospitals and physicians have an ethical obligation to provide care for residents lacking legal documentation who seek care in an emergency situation.
• That society has a public health interest in ensuring that all residents have access to health care,
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